Isle of Dreams
by savannavansmutsmut
Summary: A plane crash leaves Bella stranded with a baby, a handsome but odd angry man, and his peculiar luggage on an uncharted island in the Bermuda Triangle. Will these three strangers survive? AH EXB banner by FemmeCullen Re-written, EDEN Free
1. Chapter 1

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma rocks the beta Kasbah!**

**Chapter 1 – Some Dreams are Nightmares**

**BELLA**

This had to be a bad dream. At least that was what I was hoping for. I could have woken up from that, instead of finding myself here, in a real-life episode of the Twilight Zone, where only a dumbass actor of a pilot would actually fly over the Bermuda Triangle. Everyone knew the stories of disappearing planes and ships, so the area was widely avoided. Obviously, our pilot missed that little memo and decided this brilliant maneuver was the answer to avoid a storm. He was going to just swing wide around it and then land us in Florida, where I was going to surprise my mother for her birthday. It looked like the batch of homemade fudge I had made for her was about to become fish food instead.

The whole damn plane started to shake, and then it shot into a nosedive. The pilot yanked the plane to the left, god only knew why. People all around me were screaming, and all I could mutter was, "Great, now I'm going to die." I felt like rolling my eyes at myself. I had nothing to show for my life, including having the good sense to give a damn about dying, apparently.

I silently wondered if my mother would be upset.

We had hardly spoken to each other over the past three years. Would she even notice when I never showed up again? My eyes darted to a woman holding a small baby. I could see tears running down her face as she tried to calm her screaming infant. I wondered if the handsome gentleman next to her was her husband. He sat stoically silent, watching the woman clutch the child frantically to her chest.

He must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked up at me and glared.

I would've pretended to be offended, but I didn't have time. I felt the plane suddenly jolt violently as we hit the ocean surface. I was temporarily jostled, but otherwise unhurt, unlike most of the people surrounding me.

The plane rolled slightly, and the cabin started to fill with water.

I was sitting in coach, last row of seats at the very back of the plane. I watched as people frantically tried to unbuckle themselves. I undid mine calmly and with ease, accepting my fate of death.

My eyes found the angry man again, only to feel sudden panic as reality set in. The woman next to him was not conscious, and the way her head tipped unnaturally to the side made it look like her neck had been broken. The child was still screaming, clinging to her chest, but slowly sliding down her lap.

Water was filling the cabin quickly, and as it filled the man's shoes, something seemed to click in his head. He sprang to his feet and wrestled down a large suitcase before grabbing the baby from the dead woman's lap. He looked at me pointedly and turned, running to the very back of the plane, pulling his large carry-on behind him. I wondered how he'd managed to not have to check that thing, or why on earth he would stop for his luggage. I didn't have time to question him, though, as I jumped up to follow him, and we made our way to the back of the plane. He managed to release the emergency latch and kick the door open.

Suddenly, we were in the water.

An airplane seat only worked as a floatation device as long as you were conscious enough to hang on to it. Only about eight people made it out of the plane, before it sank into the ocean, taking the rest of the passengers with it. We floated on the surface of the choppy water, watching the sky nervously, as the storm the pilot had tried to fly around was now approaching.

My eyes found the angry man again. He was hanging on to his suitcase for dear life. It was floating, and he had laid the baby on top of it, and it was lying on its belly. I watched as the man looked over the baby worriedly. I was sure he had to be crushed to lose his wife, and now he was doing everything he could to take care of his baby in the worst possible situation.

The water began to get rougher. The waves were growing rapidly. One of the other passengers suggested we all try and hang on together. We all agreed to gather around the man with the baby. I think we all silently vowed to protect the baby. We needed to save the most precious thing left, even if we all died doing it.

The waves pushed us higher, and one of the guys saw land. We all started kicking hard, trying to reach it, but making little headway. We were all exhausted. A huge wave hit, scattering our group. I searched frantically, trying to see if there was anyone else around.

I saw the angry man's head bob up. His precious package was in his arms, and his suitcase was just out of his reach. I knew he wouldn't last long. I fought the churning waters and shoved my floatation device at him. I shouted for him to grab it, but I doubted he'd heard me over the wind. It bounced on his back, and he turned to see me pointing at it, yelling for him to take it.

His eyes widened in surprise, just as another big wave hit. He had just enough time to grab onto it, before the wave shoved us further apart.

My body was tumbling through the waves. I wasn't sure which way was up, and I didn't fight to find it. I knew it really didn't matter at this point. Then something slammed into my stomach, knocking what little air I had left in me out. I grabbed on to whatever it was instinctively and felt myself moving upward. Once I broke the surface, I realized it was the man's suitcase. I looked around, but I didn't see him or anyone else anywhere. Another wave crashed into me, propelling me toward the island we had been trying to swim toward. I looked desperately for the others. I didn't know their names, but in the short amount of time we had spent together clinging to life, we had bonded.

I silently prayed that they would make it.

I worked with the storm, only kicking to propel myself when the tide was naturally pushing me that way.

The storm seemed to be moving in a different direction now. We had only been on the edge of it, but it was enough to do the damage. The water was still too choppy to see over the waves. I didn't know if anyone else was still alive.

I hit the shore of an island that would have looked like paradise under other circumstances and crawled up the sand, grateful to just be alive. I looked around one last time, unsure of where I was or if anyone else had survived, and then I just collapsed.

When I finally came to, I thought I could hear crying in the distance. I didn't know how long I had been asleep, but it seemed like dawn was breaking. I must have slept all evening and into the next morning. My body was sore from the impromptu workout. I strained to see if I could hear the crying again. I could have sworn I'd heard it.

I looked around me and spotted the suitcase. I dragged it up higher on the shore, a safe distance from the water. It felt like it was full of lead, it was so heavy. I peered up and down the shoreline, hoping to see somebody, anybody.

There was no one.

Then I heard it.

A baby's cry!

I knew I hadn't been imagining it. I started running towards the sound. It was back a little ways from the shoreline, about twenty yards from where I had washed up.

I tore through the jungle and started moving faster, when I heard the baby start to scream louder. Just as I burst into the clearing, something hit me hard, coming from the side.

For a moment, I thought it might have been a wild animal defending its prey, but after we hit the ground, it made no move to get off me or attack me. I opened my eyes, looking for the baby, and saw it was lying on a large leaf.

Confused, I looked at what was on top of me.

It was the man, looking down at me equally confused. "The baby," I said snapping him out of whatever it was he was thinking, and he quickly got up and picked up the baby, trying to calm it. He looked awkward and worried.

"Can I try?" I asked. He looked at me hesitantly, and then he handed over the screaming baby. "When was the last time he ate?" He shrugged. "Have you fed him since you got here?"

"I don't have any fucking food. There's no such thing as a fucking bottle tree, now is there," he snapped.

I looked around, seeing a banana tree. I pointed to it. "Get a banana for him." He looked confused, and I rolled my eyes. "Get a banana, and I'll feed him!"

He hurried up the tree, and that was when I saw a cut on his leg. I hoped it wasn't infected. We would need to find clean water to wash it.

I realized the baby's diaper was completely soaked and quickly took it off. The baby was definitely a boy, and he seemed to calm down once he was naked.

The man returned and looked at me confused. "Why is he naked?"

"His diaper was wet." Geez, didn't this man ever help with his son?

The man frowned a little and pulled one of the bananas off the bunch he had picked. I hoped it would be soft enough for the baby to eat. I mashed it while still in the peel and then used my finger to feed the mush to him.

"How did you know to do that?" the man asked.

"Do what?"

He pointed at the now-quiet baby. I just shrugged. "I was hungry, and my soggy underwear is uncomfortable. I just assumed he was in the same boat." The man seemed to pout at my response. "How old is your son?" I asked.

His head popped up, and his eyes widened. He looked away for a minute then shrugged.

He didn't know how old his son was? What a jerk!

"Well, he's pretty small and looks to be around eight or nine months old, does that sound about right?" He didn't answer. This guy was starting to piss me off. "Why don't you go see if you can find some fresh water? We're going to need it," I said dismissing him.

His eyes lingered on the baby for a moment, and then he turned and left.

I sat with the baby, who was no longer fussing, and looked down at his little chubby cheeks. He looked well cared for. I remembered the way his mother had doted over him on the plane. His eyes were brown, and he had a smattering of brown curls on his head. He looked a lot like his mother. Her hair had been brown and wavy.

I thought it must have been hard for that man to look at his son, who looked so much like his dead wife. Despite his dark-colored eyes and hair, he had light soft baby skin. His father had done well to keep him out of the sun. His cheeks were the only thing that looked pinked.

I heard a rustling in the bushes and immediately took a defensive stance. I was relieved when the man came walking back. "There's a freshwater creek not far from here."

I looked at his leg. It looked like he had cleaned it. The baby had been gurgling and suddenly stopped. I was holding him facing away from me, so he could see that his daddy had come back for him.

Suddenly, a little fountain sprouted, and the man jumped to the side.

"Little fucker. I said I found water, not that I needed some," he laughed as the baby peed, shooting in his direction.

I quickly held the baby away from me, and sure enough, the other side followed. He pooped, just missing my feet.

The man laughed and seemed to be looking around for something. "Man, I wish I had my suitcase," he grumbled.

I had all but forgotten about it.

"It's just over there. I crashed into it during the storm. It was what I used to float to safety."

The man looked in the direction I pointed and ran off after it. I wondered if he realized any disposable diapers he might have had for his son would be thoroughly soaked.

He came running back, smiling widely, and opened his suitcase with a flourish. He pulled out a package of wipes and handed them to me.

I was surprised to find they were dry on the outside. Apparently, the suitcase had been waterproofed.

I laid the baby back on the large leaf he'd had him lying on before and cleaned his behind. "Diaper?" I asked expecting him to have at least one.

He seemed to be looking for something and sighed. "Why the hell would she pack wipes and no diapers?" he grumbled.

I peeked around the inside of the suitcase and saw a bag of cloth diapers and one with some bandanas.

"There," I pointed to them, "Give me those. They'll work."

He smiled, and for a moment, my heart stopped. He was beautiful. He handed me what I asked for, and I placed a cloth diaper under the baby and used the bandana to hold it in place.

He looked back down in the suitcase and looked confused, but then started laughing to himself.

"What?" I asked.

He lifted up a sippy cup. "Alice," he said shaking his head.

That must have been the name of the woman who had died next to him. I didn't understand what was so funny about his wife packing a sippy cup for his son.

The smile dropped from his face, and he picked up an envelope. The name _Edward_ was scrawled across it, and I wondered if that was him.

He carefully opened it, unfolding the letter.

Halfway through the letter, tears started falling down his face. It must have been a letter from his wife, and I wondered what she was saying. That she loved him? Hated him? His lack of child know-how was proof enough that he wasn't a very good father, and probably not a very good spouse.

I stopped those thoughts, as I heard him sniffle. He had just lost his wife. I had no right to think of him that way.

He chuckled softly and pulled a tissue from the envelope he had just opened, wiping his nose. "She thinks of everything," he mumbled.

Once he was done with the letter, he set it down and closed the suitcase again. "I'm going to get some wood," he said before he took off. He came back with a large armload and left again. He stacked the wood between two trees, making a tall and narrow woodpile. He stepped back, seeming to get an idea, and then ran back the way he had come. We had been sitting in a small tight circle of trees. It was no more than eight feet around. When he returned, he stopped and looked at me for a moment. He opened the suitcase and pulled out a metal pot and a Swiss army knife. I looked at him confused.

"I know, right? That's just Alice for you. The creek is just over that way. You'll be able to hear it. Use the pot to scoop some water and put it on the fire I'll have waiting for you. I need to get our shelter up for tonight."

He seemed to know what he was doing, so I went the way he'd told me. When I came back, I was surprised to see his suitcase unpacked, and everything was tucked into a huge duffle bag that must have been folded inside the suitcase. He had cannibalized the suitcase and used the metal framing to fashion a makeshift stovetop. He then used four tall sticks he had found, tying them together with strips of material he'd cut from the suitcase lining. The tops of the four sticks were then tied together like a teepee.

I carefully set the pot on the makeshift stove. It seemed to hold with no problem. The baby was watching me. We both were looking around curiously.

The man came back and stacked up another row of wood. I could see now he was making a wall using the logs. I wanted to help, but I didn't see how I could. I didn't want to put the baby down, because he might crawl away or get burned by the fire.

While the man was getting more wood, I noticed the water boiling and decided to get out the sippy cup and get the water cooling for the baby. When I opened the bag, I noticed a child's button-up shirt. It was too large to be the baby's and much too small to be the man's. When I pulled it out, it uncovered a bag with a stack of bandanas. I was holding the little shirt upside down, when I got an idea. To test it out, I tied a corner of a bandana tightly to the point of the shirt collar and did the same on the other side with another. I used two more to make the straps longer, and then I knotted another two of the bandanas into the bottom front of the shirt. I held up my makeshift baby carrier and smiled.

"What do you think, little man? You think it'll work, so I can help your daddy?"

I heard chuckling from behind me. The man was standing there with a brilliant smile. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

"If you're thinking it's a baby carrier, then yes," I answered proud of my accomplishment.

"Well, bring it over and put it on me. We'll give it a go."

I looked at him stunned. "I was going to wear it."

"You'll get tuckered out too fast if you do. Strap him on my back, and let's see how this thing works."

I was thinking about arguing with him, but he was right. Chances were that I would get worn out quickly and wouldn't be able to help him much.

I slipped the baby's legs into the shirt's armholes. I picked him up, twisted the bandanas into straps, and then passed them over the man's shoulders. Then I handed him the ends of the bandanas that were tied under the baby's behind. The man tied them in an "X" across his chest and looked over his shoulder. "How you doing, little man?"

His son patted his back in response, cooing happily. "Alright, the wood is this way," he said leading me out of camp.

It looked like the storm, or one that had hit not too long ago, had torn up a large portion of the jungle. There were several downed trees and snapped branches. He grabbed a long, but not too thick, branch and broke it into four smaller logs by stomping on it.

"Do you think you can handle carrying these?" he asked.

I nodded yes, and he loaded me up.

"Do you know the way back to camp?"

I smiled and turned back down the path he had already beaten down through the jungle. I quickly stacked the logs and ran back to find him breaking up another load. He was doing his best to break them into manageable logs for me. "We could really use an axe right about now, huh?" I joked.

He stopped suddenly and touched the carrier, smiling at me. "I guess I could just make one."

He helped me carry the logs back to camp and stacked them up, all but one.

I took the baby from him and fed him the water, hoping it would be enough. I didn't have any idea where I would be able to find milk on this island. I took a sip from the pot and then passed it to the man. "You need to stay hydrated."

He smiled softly at me, before thanking me and drank it all down. He glanced at the fire that was going down. I threw another log on it and started to go refill the pot, so we could boil some more water for drinking.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to get more water. We need to have it on hand, so we can stay hydrated."

He nodded in return and went back to what he was doing.

When I came back, he held up his branch with a honed rock tied to it. "Where did you get the rope?" I asked.

"Alice," was his only answer.

Apparently, his wife was prepared for anything. I was really starting to admire her.

By the end of the day, we had two walls up and had eaten the majority of the banana bunch he had picked. The baby seemed to be doing okay on bananas and water so far.

He pulled out a featherbed cover and laid it down on some banana leaves he had spread on the ground. He lay down on top of it and patted the space next to him. "We'll find stuffing for it tomorrow," he said sighing then closing his eyes. He had worked very hard today, and I knew that tomorrow would be just as rough.

I had changed the baby, cleaning him up and lay down next to the sleeping stranger, realizing that I didn't even know his name. The baby snuggled on my chest, pillowing his head on my breast as he sighed contently.

I woke the next morning to the thumping of his makeshift axe, and a wet chest. Too bad there hadn't been a pair of rubber pants in that suitcase. I looked over at our fire and saw that it was burning nicely, with a pot of water on it. The baby was still sleeping soundly on my chest. I'd always heard that you should never wake a sleeping baby, and since there wasn't much I could do for him asleep, I let him rest.

The man came back with a load of logs in his arms, and he smiled when he saw I was awake. I put my fingers to my lips and then pointed at the sleeping baby. He smiled and nodded in understanding. The little guy had endured a really busy couple of days and was still tuckered out.

I was handed a banana for breakfast. He filled up the baby's sippy cup first and then set it next to me, so I could reach it when it cooled.

"Breakfast in bed, a girl could get used to this," I joked quietly.

He looked at me confused and then chuckled softly, shaking his head, before he disappeared up the path again.

I heard the familiar whacking start again, and I knew he was going back to work. I drank some water to wash the banana down and wondered if he had an extra toothbrush in his duffle bag. I was also curious to see what else his wife had put in his carry-on. I hoped he didn't mind if I snooped. I carefully slid the baby off my chest and laid him next to me, quickly changing his diaper without waking him, and then I sat up and pulled the duffle towards me.

Everything inside the bag was sealed inside waterproof zippy bags. I pulled out a bag with a large stack of bandanas. Apparently, his wife loved them. I wished I had someplace to set this stuff, not wanting it to get dirty in the sand. I noticed the sharp broken limb ends of the stick wall poking out and decided to tie some bandana ends to them, making a bag-like shelf system to hang from the lower part of the wall. It was only about two feet up, but it was high enough to use comfortably as I sat on the ground. I hung the rope on another pokey stick, and then I pulled out a large folded blue nylon tarp. I looked up and assumed this was what would eventually make our roof. There were several ponytail holders, one of which I promptly used. I also found some soft washcloths, a couple of small towels, and more cloth diapers, along with a bag with a couple of toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste.

I made another shelf and tucked them away. I dug a little deeper and smiled when I found a big spool of fishing line. We could eat meat if we ever came across a hook. I thought of wandering the beach, looking for lost hooks. I looked a little deeper and found a card with several pairs of hook-type earrings with various dangling décor. There were also some packages of pantyhose.

I made another shelf and set the clothes in it. There were two sets of adult male clothes, two of female, three little baby outfits, and a floppy sun hat.

There were several white sheets, so I made a shelf for just them. In the very bottom of the bag, there were several large packets of seeds. One larger bag was full of tiny seeds. They looked like the grass seeds we'd bought back in Phoenix. I recognized the corn seeds and some that looked like tomatoes, peas, several types of beans, and an assortment of squash-like seeds. I made a shelf just for them.

I tucked the last couple of bandanas into the baby's diaper shelf, and then I picked up the empty duffle bag. I decided I would take the fishing line and earrings and try my hand at fishing, while I gathered bedding and food. We were running low on bananas. There were just enough left for lunch, after I fed the baby his breakfast.

I added another log to the fire and put a fresh pot of water on to boil before I left. I would have left a note, but, well, there just wasn't any point. Besides, I figured I wouldn't get lost, since I could easily hear the whacking of his axe, and I wasn't going far.

I walked back toward the fresh water, since that was what kind of fish I had experience fishing for. I tied the line to the bottom of one of the stiff earrings, letting the decoration hang down like a lure.

I jammed a bent stick into the middle of the spool, making a makeshift reel. I wedged it between some rocks, letting the hook bounce up and down on the surface. The cheap plastic beads were keeping it from sinking too deep.

I grabbed a low-hanging branch and snapped it, stripping it free of any debris. There was a thick dry blanket of moss growing all along the path to the water. I noticed it all over the ground. I smacked it several times with my makeshift rug beater, checking for bugs and snakes. A few small beetles came crawling out, and once they were out, I picked up some of the moss and shook it out before shoving it into my bag for the bedding. I continued doing this for a while, until my bag was mostly full, and I could hear the baby starting to fuss.

I walked back to the camp and stuffed what I had into the bed cover. I gave the baby another cup of water, changed his diaper and started feeding him a banana for lunch, when the man came back with another load of wood. He had the third wall mostly done.

"You've been busy," he said motioning to the wall with the shelves and the lump in the bed.

"So have you," I said pointing to the new wall. I handed him a banana and passed him the pot of water. He thanked me and sat in the shade the new wall provided.

"We have seeds and fishing line."

"That's Alice for you."

"It's as if she knew we were going to crash and would need that stuff."

I watched him as he ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh. "She did."

He stretched and headed back up the path, leaving me very confused.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma beta's for me as you will see, because her touch is magic.**

**Chapter 2 - Name that Dream**

**BELLA**

I decided to change fishing tactics, after I found some more food.

I listened for the whacking of his axe and heard the soft snore of the baby on my back. He was getting heavy, but I knew his dad had the more physical task today, so I would bear the weight. I gathered more moss as I explored, packing the large duffle bag ten more times tightly with moss. It was finally starting to look like a bed. I hoped he appreciated the work I'd done. I found a lime tree and what I thought were avocados. They would be perfect if I ever caught a fish. There was also what I thought might be a mango tree, and I collected three coconuts. I was not sure if we could open them, but I thought if he was up to it, this guy could give it a try.

I headed back to the fresh water, washed the mud from my hands, and recast the lure. This time, I had put a worm I'd dug up on the hook. I sat forward, resting my head on my knees, so the baby could nap. I hoped he was okay back there.

Waiting for a fish to bite wasn't the most mind-stimulating of exercises, and it gave my mind time to wander. I couldn't help but think about all those people who had died on the plane and the others who had made it off with us, but died as well. Out of all those people, I had to question why it had been me that had survived. Surely there had been someone else who had more to offer the world than I did who could have been spared. I couldn't help but feel guilty and sad at that thought.

I must have dozed off, but then I felt a tug on my line. I startled and started pulling it in. I wasn't versed enough to know what kind of fish I'd caught, but it looked like a catfish with its funny whiskers. I couldn't help but cheer with excitement when I saw the size of it. It wasn't huge, but it would be enough for the three of us. My shouting woke the baby, startling the poor little guy and scaring him.

I tried to shush him, but it was difficult to do with him on my back. I heard something moving through the bushes fast towards us. I was worried at first, but then I saw the mess of bronze hair, and worried eyes landed on my face.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly.

"I caught a fish!" I answered

He shook his head. "That's great; just don't go screaming next time you do it. You scared me half to death, thinking something caught _you_ for dinner," he snapped.

He took the fussy baby off my back, and he settled down quickly in his father's arms.

I found this kind of fish's skin peeled off with some effort, which was really gross, but kind of good since I only had a small sharp rock to cut it with.

The man had rolled a stump into our camp, not far from the corner of the room with all the shelves I'd put up. It looked like he had buried the old roots and then beat the top of the stump until it was somewhat flat for me to work on.

I was about to reach for the pot to cook the fish, when he stopped me. "Just set it on the suitcase frame to roast over the fire, so we can keep our water pot clean."

I nodded in agreement. He was right. I didn't want my water to taste any fishier than it had to. He passed me a couple of sticks. "Here, use these to poke through it and move it around."

I went back to work on the fish. He took the baby with him to work on the coconuts. I noticed he'd taken the sippy cup with him as well. When he returned, the sippy was full of a cloudy liquid that the baby was sucking on unsurely.

He brought the broken coconut pieces to me. They were not nearly as straight as in in all the movies I had seen. They were jagged and uneven, but it seemed they would work for us. I took them from him and used my sharp rock to loosen the coconut meat and piled it into one shell, then scraped some fish into his coconut dish. I squeezed some more lime over it and grabbed what I thought was an avocado. "I'm pretty sure this is an avocado. If it is, it'll taste good with this fish, and it's mushy enough to feed the baby."

I scraped at the skin and was relieved to find a familiar inside. I washed my rock off and cut the food up, giving him an extra-large portion, saving all the seeds to replant.

His eyes lit up, excited. "This looks good."

"Thanks. I just hope we don't get sick of it."

He smiled and nodded. "Alice planned for that, too. It'll just take time. She wanted me to finish the house, before I started the garden and the field. She thinks there are mountain goats around here that'll come to the clearing, once I'm done cleaning it of the broken trees and plant the alfalfa. Then she wanted me to make a bow and arrow to keep the birds away from the seed. We need to plant the corn, beans and squash together. Apparently, Native Americans used to plant corn then climbing beans that would grow up the corn stalks, and then squash with its spiny plants to keep animals away. I say let them come, once I've got my bow working. We could use the food."

I was shocked to hear he was planning to plant a crop.

I looked at him scared. "How long will we be here? Don't you think they're looking for us?"

He frowned. "Of course they are. It'll just take a while before Alice can convince anyone to come into the Triangle. I read ahead a little. There's lots of edible stuff on the islands in these parts. We just have to find it. There are also chickens around. We might be able to domesticate them."

"Chickens?"

He nodded. "Yup, wild chickens. They used to be all over the islands, but animals were brought in that killed them off." He looked back at the island mountain looming over us. "She said that didn't happen here. People were always superstitious about the Triangle and avoided it. That's probably why this place isn't mapped out," he sighed.

He took another drink of our water and then went to lie on the bed. "This is nice. What do you have in here?"

"Some sort of dry moss, but don't worry, I beat the bugs out of it," I added.

He looked at me, chuckling and shaking his head, before he lay back, closing his eyes.

The baby finished up his coconut milk, and I changed his diaper. He didn't want to settle down too much, and I hoped the two bananas I had left would be enough for his breakfast.

"We need you to pick more bananas tomorrow," I spoke softly, not sure if he was awake.

He hummed an answer in the affirmative, and the baby seemed to settle a little at the sound.

"I'll wash out the coconut shells and gather some more food tomorrow, while you work on whatever it is you're doing."

"Okay," he said lightly.

I pulled out a sheet and wrapped the baby up in it, settling him in the middle of the bed. I looked at the handsome man lying silently next to me. He didn't seem to talk much, unless it was about Alice. It was then I realized that he thought his dead wife was going to save us. My brow furrowed as I looked down at him. Maybe he'd hit his head in the crash. It would explain why he didn't know his son's age.

I decided it was time we talked. We had been on this island two days now, and he'd never even asked my name.

"What's your name?"

One eye opened, and he looked me up and down, before he closed it again. He lay silent for a while, and I wondered if he was just going to ignore me.

Then he finally spoke, "Edward, yours?"

"Bella," I said relieved. "What's your son's name?" His face screwed up, displeased. "Can you remember it? Did you hit your head?" I finally asked, worried about him. I moved my hand to his hair, gently feeling for lumps.

His eyes popped open when I touched him, and he glared at me. I jumped back and pulled the baby tightly to my chest, protecting him from his angry gaze.

"His name is Ben," he snapped and closed his eyes again, rolling onto his side, so his back was to me.

Ben settled down, and I gently patted his back, until he finally fell asleep.

I woke alone the next morning. The baby carrier was gone, so I assumed he'd taken the baby with him.

I saw a fresh bunch of bananas, so I ate two for breakfast and drank down some cooled water. I grabbed the duffle bag and the pot, so I could refill it at the creek. I tossed another log on the fire to keep it going. I wasn't sure how he'd started it, but I was guessing it hadn't been easy.

When I came back with the water pot, he was looking at his letter, and then he stood up, looking at his walls and the trees. He put his hand up in the air, and I wondered what he was doing. I stood silently watching him, until he started working again. He put two tall posts at one end and two much shorter ones at the other end.

"Sloped roof?" I asked.

He turned and looked at me, as if he was trying to figure me out, but then turned his back to me again, before answering, "Yes."

"Want me to take Ben with me while you work?"

He regarded me again and then looked back up the path. He moved to take the baby off of himself, while I refilled the sippy cup. The baby took it happily, sucking down the water greedily.

Edward looked at the baby sadly for a moment and then handed me the duffle bag. He had put the fishing stuff in it. I guess he didn't plan on getting any birds today.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3 waking dreams

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen. Love her, it's completely appropriate.**

**Chapter 3 - Waking Dreams**

**BELLA**

I decided to go further up the mountain. So far I had taken to staying on the level part of the island. I thought if I looked a little higher up, I might come across the chickens and some eggs. I gathered a few more coconuts, so the baby would have some milk.

I took a break for lunch, sharing a banana with the baby. As we sat, I thought I heard some scratching. I was silently trying to make out what it was, when I heard the clucking of a chicken. I was kind of shocked that Edward had been right, that there really were chickens.

"Here, chick-chick-chick," I called softly. I heard them scatter, realizing I had just frightened them. I moved stealthily toward the sound and was met by a beautiful rooster. He stood tall and puffed out, trying to be threatening. I moved back slowly, not wanting to provoke him. I didn't want to seem threatening to him. Edward said we should try to domesticate them.

The hens were all hiding in the bush. I knew they wouldn't come out, not until the rooster gave the all clear. I noticed a few berry bushes and silently wanted to remember they were here. I picked off a few berries and tossed them toward the rooster. He hopped over them, ignoring my offering.

I was walking slowly backwards and almost fell when I tripped on a small branch. It reminded me of the one I'd used to beat the bugs out of the moss. Chickens liked bugs, right?

I backed away from him and beat the moss on the side of the path. Several beetles and bugs came scampering out, and I saw the rooster cock his head in interest.

"That's right, come get the yummy beetles." I moved down the path towards our camp, smacking the moss free of bugs. It took a while, but the chickens finally followed. It was a hen that snuck out and ate the bugs first. The rooster chastened her for coming out of hiding, but since I continued to back away, freeing more bugs, more hens came out of hiding, going after the easy meal I was offering. The rooster followed me, but never once ate my bug offering. He left that to the hens.

When I finally returned to camp, our house looked so much different. Edward had put lean-to's all around it. He heard the commotion the chickens were making, as they fought over the beetles. He poked his head out the door to see what was going on and smiled brilliantly at me. I held my finger to my lips, so he wouldn't startle our new little chicken friends.

I beat out several bushes, knocking free more bugs, and then I slowly went inside the house with Edward, peeking around the door to watch them, to see if they would settle near us.

"You found the chickens," he whispered.

I nodded my head yes and then pouted. "I didn't fish today. I was so busy with the chickens, I didn't get to it."

He smiled at me again. "It's alright. I figured something was keeping you, when I didn't find you at the water while I refilled the pot." He walked over to one of the makeshift shelves and pulled out some sort of squash-looking thing.

"I found this when I was moving the big logs." He pointed to the huge tree-length logs laying across the top of the wood stacks that made up the walls. They were compressing them all together, making them dig further into the ground. The compression logs were strapped tightly to the trees at either end of them. Inside, he'd put several long thin posts flush against the walls. The tops reached well past the tops of the log walls. The roof peak was about six feet over the top of our logs, making it about twelve feet at its highest point.

Edward saw me examining his handiwork and decided to explain. "The angle of the roof directs the smoke to go out there," he said pointing to the wall supports. "They make kind of a vent and will let light in as well. Once I'm done with the roof, it'll be more stable."

To my surprise, Edward cooked the squash thingy, making it soft so the baby could eat it with us. I took the skins of the squash that were left and tossed them over by the chickens. They made quick work of our scraps, eating it up eagerly. Edward saved the seeds, saying he would plant them.

The way he was working, he acted as if he didn't plan on being rescued for years. It made me nervous.

He settled right into bed, not saying a word. Sometimes it felt as if I was on the island alone. Three days I had lived with this man, and I didn't know anything about him, other than his name was Edward and his dead wife was Alice. I'd noticed he didn't like to be touched. I had bumped into him a couple of times, and he always glared at me when I had. I had taken to rolling my eyes at him. I was clumsy, so he had better get used to getting bumped. Also, at night, he moved as far away from me as possible. Little Ben slept between us, but usually ended up snuggled on my chest.

I hadn't been asleep too long, when I was woken up by a grumbling next to me.

"Don't touch me," Edward snapped in his sleep. His words were half mumbled. He was flopping around restlessly, and I worried that he would hit the baby. I moved little Ben to the far side of the bed and then rolled over to Edward's side.

"Edward," I whispered. He didn't respond, still fighting the bad dream he was having.

I hesitantly grabbed his shoulder, giving him a shake, calling his name a little louder. He grabbed my hand, and suddenly I was pinned underneath him. His groggy eyes narrowed on me. "Don't fucking touch me!" he growled.

I shushed him. "Don't wake the baby," I whispered.

"Keep your fucking hands to yourself," he growled quietly.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Like I wanted to _'fucking touch you.' _You were having a bad dream and flopping around. I was worried you'd hit the baby," I scowled back at him. "Now get off me," I growled, shoving him unsuccessfully.

He looked over at Ben and then back to me. He scowled down at me and stormed out. I lay back down in the middle of the bed and let little Ben squirm up next to me, both of us going back to sleep.

"Alice, you fucking genius!" I heard Edward shout.

My eyes fluttered open, and I realized it was morning. I didn't think Edward had ever come back to bed, but I could hear him now. Little Ben was still asleep. I moved out from under him and snuck out to find Edward smiling widely, tugging on some huge trunks. Edward's name was painted on the top of each of them.

He saw me watching and waved me over. "Don't just stand there; give me a fucking hand with this shit."

His swearing was really starting to grate on me. "You want me to give you a fucking hand with your fucking shit?" I said raising an eyebrow at him. He looked at me confused. "Lose the swearing," I said with an eye roll and pushed off the tree to help him.

"Lose the eye thing," he said annoyed.

"Right, because 'fuck' should be little Ben's first word. God, Edward, how on earth has he survived this long with you being his father? You don't even know his age! You had no clue how to feed or change his diaper. Did you leave all that to his mom? You're all little Ben has left, and so help me God, I'll make you into a better father, whether you like it or not! NO SWEARING!" I snapped, pushing right up into his face.

His eyes bore down on me, like he was debating whether or not to snap back at me or let it go. I held his gaze, not flinching.

He finally turned away from me and grabbed the edge of one of the trunks. "Give me a hand," he muttered, not looking at me.

I grabbed one side of the trunk and helped him drag it back to camp. We went back for the other one, after I peeked in on Ben to make sure he was still sleeping. I saw Edward look at the little boy with glassy eyes. I knew I shouldn't have yelled at him.

Apparently, Alice had sent these two trunks on the plane for him, and they'd finally washed ashore. He opened the first one. It actually had the numeral "1" painted on it, next to his name. When he opened it, the first thing that came into view was a pile of metal gardening tool heads that needed handles attached, along with a huge axe and a wood saw.

"Alice, you're fucking beautiful. I'll carve you a fucking statue and worship you when I get out of here."

He picked up another envelope and then glanced over to the other trunk. He pouted for a moment, and then looked at me. "It's for you."

"What?"

"The second trunk is for you."

I must not have heard him right. I looked at the trunk confused.

He shook his head at me, folding the letter in his hand, so that I could only see the first couple of lines.

"_The second trunk if for her, Edward, and you better be nice to her or by god, when I come for you, I'll beat you to a bloody pulp. No one should have to put up with your moody ass 24/7._

_She'll have her own letter, with instructions that you're not allowed to read, so don't bug her about it. She hasn't bugged you about yours."_

I stood staring at him in shock.

"That's just Alice for you," he said shrugging at me and started digging through his trunk.

I walked over to my trunk, examining it. It had "Edward 2," painted on the top of it. I had just gotten it open, when I heard Ben waking. I snatched up my letter from Alice and hurried inside to get Ben, before he could crawl off the bed and hurt himself.

I scooped up the baby, smiling at him, because he was smiling at me. It was hard not to smile when Ben smiled at you.

I talked to him about going out and working with his daddy as I changed his diaper. I hadn't even noticed Edward was watching us, until he handed me the sippy full of coconut milk. I blushed, because I had been doing baby voices and making faces.

He smirked at me and walked out.

Ass.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4 dream of solitude

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is the Beta queen!**

**Chapter 4 - Solitude**

**BELLA**

I finally found a moment to read the letter Alice had left for me. I was surprised at how it was written. There were blocks of it with the words "stop here" in between. As I read, she explained that I was only to read a section a day and no more. It was important that I didn't read too much at once, or I might change the way things would happen.

Needless to say, I was confused.

She went on to explain that Edward was a mean, lonely man who hated being around people. She said it wouldn't surprise her if he actually started to thrive in the solitude of the island. She told me not to take his not wanting to be touched personally; because that was something he had been conditioned into over time.

To help with his nightmares, I was not to touch him, just sing.

I almost laughed out loud at that part. She wanted me to sing to him? What the hell would I sing?

She surprised me even further, when she told me the little boy's name was really Jacob. He wasn't Edward's son, nor did he even know him before the flight. The little boy was ten months old. His only surviving relative was his grandfather.

She told me not to be afraid to stand up to Edward, and she doubted he would be under such stress that he would ever hurt me physically.

My trunk was filled with kitchen supplies, a hairbrush, feminine products, thank God, and first-aid things. She told me not to use any of the medicines, unless specified in her letter, but I was free to use the tweezers to keep my uni-brow in check. How the hell she knew I had a uni-brow, I had to wonder.

There was a sewing kit with a lot of thread, a large pack of various-sized safety pins, and an assortment of needles, pliers and scissors in it. She told me to do my best not to cut any of the sheets, as I would have to pull the thread and re-sew them into different things. There was also a plastic bag I pulled out that had a deck of playing cards, a thick-bound journal and a mechanical pencil with extra lead. She encouraged me to write about our time on the island, saying that it would come in handy later, whatever that meant.

In the very bottom of the trunk was a recorder. I was to give it to Edward for his birthday, which was tomorrow. He preferred the piano, but she wanted me to tell him that she couldn't fit that into the trunk.

I smiled, thinking of her looking out for him.

She wanted me to build nests for the chickens under the lean-to's Edward had erected outside the house. The hens would lay the eggs in there, making it easier to collect them. I was instructed not to collect them in the spring, however.

I felt panicked.

How long were we going to be here? It was midsummer now. Did she not think we would be rescued for a year? I hadn't even realized I was crying, until Edward squatted down in front of me. He looked at the letter and then my face.

"Can you tell me what she said?" he asked.

"I'm not supposed to collect the eggs in the spring," I sobbed.

He grimaced, nodded, and then walked away.

As he left me, I looked up to see Jacob in the baby carrier on his back. "Jacob," I called after them.

The baby squealed in response, recognizing his name. "The baby's name is Jacob." I held up the letter to indicate where I'd gotten the information.

Edward just nodded and went on his way.

The rest of the week was much of the same. We worked daily for our food, and Edward worked to finish our house. Once he was done, he started planting the seeds, following Alice's instructions. He had yet to tell me who this Alice was.

If Edward hadn't known the child, or the woman he had been sitting beside on the plane, then I knew it wasn't Alice who had died next to him in the crash. Of course, that didn't mean she hadn't been on the plane.

I must've been staring at him again, because he let out an annoyed growl. He didn't like it when I looked at him. Well, that was tough shit; there was no one else to look at.

He was difficult to live with. It seemed more and more like I was actually on the island alone. He did help me care for Jacob and helped with the chores, so we could live and survive, but he never spoke to me. When I spoke to him, I never got more than one-word answers and an annoyed look for bothering him. He always kept his distance from me, like he was uneasy about being around me.

The last time I'd seen him truly smile was when I'd given him his recorder from Alice. I gave it to him, telling him happy birthday and that Alice was sorry she couldn't fit a piano in the trunk.

He smiled in response, whispered, "Crazy little shit," and walked off, not looking back. I hadn't heard or seen that recorder since. I just assumed wherever the hell he disappeared to during the day was where he played and kept it.

I was silently cursing Alice for not sending any books. God help me, if I couldn't have a conversation with someone, I wanted to at least be able to read one.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time teaching Jacob to talk. So far I'd gotten "Na-Na," which was banana, and "Ip-Ip," which was sippy. I was pretty impressed with myself. I still referred to Edward as his dad. I didn't know why, it just seemed right, but I just couldn't teach him that I was his mom. I hoped on some level that he remembered the dark-haired woman that had cradled him to her before she'd died.

Morbid, I know, but I wasn't his mom, and I couldn't shame her memory like that.

"What?" Edward finally snapped at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Get over yourself, there just isn't anything else to do but look at you. You could strike up a conversation once and a while, so I don't feel like I got marooned alone."

He just scowled at me, let out a huff and then said, "Fine, what do you do?" I raised an eye brow in confusion. "Before this," he said with a wave of his hand, "What did you do?"

"I was a student."

His brow furrowed, as if he didn't like what I'd said.

"Well, what did you do?" I asked in return.

He shook his head at me, refusing to answer.

"Fine, how do you know Alice?"

He looked at me with a stiff scowl, as if answering would cause pain. "We were on the same floor. We passed each other in the hall," he said uncomfortably.

"So, she was a neighbor?" I asked. He looked like he was thinking about it and then nodded yes. "Was she on the plane?" I asked carefully. He raised an annoyed eyebrow at me and shook his head no. "So, there really is someone out there who knows we're here and alive?"

"Don't get too excited about it. It isn't like she can just up and come for us. It's more…complicated than that," he sighed and then got up and moved to the bed. Apparently, our conversation was done.

Great, stupid jerk.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5 The Nightmare of PMS!

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta Goddess.**

**Chapter 5 - The Nightmare of PMS!**

**BELLA**

I woke up to cramping and turned on my side after wiggling little Jacob from off of me. At first, I thought it was food poisoning or something, but then I recognized it for what it was. My period was starting.

I looked around and saw that Edward was nowhere to be found. I knew he had been leaving in the middle of the night and not returning. He had been doing it ever since the night I'd woken him up, when he'd been having a nightmare. I just assumed he was sleeping somewhere else.

Of course, he would be missing the one time I needed him to be around. Freaking JERK!

Okay, I might have been a little moody.

I dug through my trunk and sighed in relief. Under the little boxes of compact tampons, I found a huge bottle of ibuprofen. "Alice, I love you, whoever and wherever you are, I love you."

I quickly grabbed the pot to boil water and glanced back at Jacob, who was still sleeping soundly. Thank heavens.

I hurried to the creek after taking a quick pee on the potty rock. I didn't pee on a rock like a man. There was just this odd horseshoe-shaped rock with a flat top that I used like a potty. Hey, it worked.

Once my protection was in place, I felt less nervous. I didn't want to make our already strained and awkward relationship even more strained and awkward with the discussion of my PMS.

I filled the water pot and hurried back.

I had just pulled out a handful…okay, I was taking three of the pills, when Edward came back.

"Are you alright?" he suddenly asked me, watching me down the pills in one mouthful.

"I'm fine. My trunk, my business," I snapped

For some reason, he was very protective and possessive of the crap in his trunk. I didn't know why, but he was. Honestly, it was just one more reason to slap him!

Yeah, I was PMS-ing bad.

He regarded me warily and grabbed himself a cup to drink from. Alice had sent a six-pack of cups that were stainless steel and had measurements marked on them.

"You need to take Jacob today," I said not even asking.

He seemed to be watching me carefully, but just nodded in agreement. I grabbed the duffle bag and left, before I yelled at him for looking at me. Fuck, this was not good. I was even swearing in my head!

A few of the hens were following me, but I didn't mind them. It was somewhat relaxing to watch them trail behind me. They were my posse, my girls, the only girls on the island, really.

They had come to trust us, as I made sure they were well fed. Their once-slim bodies were starting to get plumper, but I knew I would never have the heart to eat them.

I took out my fishing gear, which included a large spoon I used for digging for worms. I hoped Alice didn't mind that I was using it that way. I put a worm on the line and dropped it in the water and tossed a couple of worms to the three hens that had followed me. It was funny to watch them all fight over one worm, ignoring the other two on the ground. They did eventually notice them, and I made sure each of them got one.

I grabbed a twig and poked at the moss, causing some beetles to scurry and the chickens to get excited. They really were hilarious to watch, as they danced around each other, going for the beetles.

It was then I realized my best friends were chickens and burst into tears. It was going to be a long week.

I sat staring begrudgingly at the fishing line. What I wouldn't give for some carbs. Cake, I really wanted cake. Mmm, chocolate cake would've been so good. With thick fudge frosting.

I wandered back to the house, not really caring if I caught something this morning. I was in a pissy mood.

I noticed Edward had forgotten Jacob's cup and was very annoyed. He should've known by now how important it was to keep the baby hydrated!

I filled it and marched to where I heard a thumping that I assumed was Edward. He was standing in a clearing, shooting the bow and arrows Alice had sent him. From the looks of it, he sucked.

"You suck," I said, too cranky to care.

He frowned at me. "I'm just getting used to the wind shear factor."

"Right," I cut him off. "Is that the excuse you use when you suck at golf, too?" His eyes popped wide. Before he could respond, I held up Jake's sippy. "You forgot his sippy."

"No, I didn't," he growled. "I left it on purpose. He would've most likely dropped it at some point, and I didn't want to have to make a trip to the water and interrupt your..." he regarded me for a minute, "Bitching."

"Watch your language around the baby!"

"I didn't forget the sippy, you just seemed like you wanted to be alone today," he said sternly.

I let out a huff and watched him shoot three more arrows that were all completely blown off course. "Are you even trying?" I asked.

"You think you could do better?" he snapped.

"No, but you don't seem to be adjusting for the 'wind shear factor' you claim is the problem," I said with an eye roll.

"What do you know about wind shear factor? I doubt you golf," he growled.

"I know more about sports than you, I'll bet," I snapped.

He snapped his head around in shock. He looked me up and down. "You don't play. You're too off balance."

So he'd noticed that. "You don't have to play to know it. I've watched every sport known to man."

He looked at me, appraising me again. "Why would _you_ watch sports?"

"Well, now, if you ever took the time to talk to me, you'd know why, wouldn't you!" I spun around, annoyed with him all over again, and saw the hens watching me curiously. "Come on, girls, let's get out of here. I want to tell you about something called a Ding Dong. It's just amazing." I heard him clear his throat behind me. "The snack food, jackass!" I snapped.

"Hey, no swearing! You're such a hypocrite!" he yelled after me.

I flipped him off.

He grumbled something, but I couldn't make it out.

I went back to where I'd left the fishing gear, so I could relax and pretend like I was working at the same time. I could see why Charlie enjoyed this so much. I was lying on the bank, when I noticed it was suddenly too quiet. I sat up and opened my eyes to see the chickens had all vanished. On further inspection, I could see a few little chicken feet hiding in the bushes. I quickly jumped to my feet to see what was going on, when I heard a low growl.

Shit!

I tried to be threatening. I spread my arms out, jumping and shouting. It was then that a wild dog made its way out of the brush. His eyes were tense as he watched me.

"Yaw! Get out of here, GO!" I shouted.

He looked to me and then to the bush the chickens were hiding in. He started to stalk towards the chickens, growling lowly, but I wouldn't let him near my girls.

"Ha! NO!" I jumped between him and the bush, before he could get too close. "GET!" I screamed.

I saw a branch on the ground and picked it up, slowly feeling better now that I was sort of armed.

"Get!" I yelled and swung at him, not really trying to hit him. I really didn't want to provoke more of an attack. I just wanted to get him to run away.

He gave an aggravated bark in response. He wanted past me to get to my chickens, but I wasn't going to let that happen without a fight. I swung again, shouting at him and he barked, snapping at me, but I wasn't about to back down.

We heard fast movement coming from the side of us, and I hoped to God it was Edward and not another dog.

I heard it stop, and then I heard a soft thump and a whine.

Edward had shot the dog in the hind leg. It ran off whining. I sighed in relief and collapsed to the ground.

Edward came stomping forward. "Are you insane! What on earth were you thinking, picking a fight with a wild dog?"

"He wanted to eat my chickens."

"Let him eat the damn chickens, Bella! That dog could've killed you!"

"I had a stick!"

"Right, because that would save anyone!"

I surprised him by whacking him hard in the hip with my stick and stormed off. Asshole.

"Next time something is attacking you, shout for help, damn it!" I looked back to see him rubbing his hip and cursing me.

I stormed off, but started losing steam. I felt kind of bad for hitting him. When I got to the house, the hens went about clucking up a storm, I assumed telling the story of the dog.

Honestly, the dog looked fairly young and he wasn't that big, not to mention he was kind of cute. I had seen bigger dogs at home. This was more like the size of an almost-grown black Labrador. I could have handled it. It was obviously just hungry. It didn't want to attack me. It just wanted to get past me to eat my chickens. He didn't know they were mine and not available for eating.

I flopped on the bed and pulled out Alice's letter. This day had gone to shit so fast, I figured I had better see what she had to say.

"_Edward will figure out your condition, don't feel embarrassed about it. He will be understanding and give you space._

_As for the dog, you'll need him on your side, go make friends. Edward will be too busy to be upset with you about it. Use your fish. Whimper in return to let it know you're sorry, and then sit on his head, so he can't bite you when you remove the arrow. Take a bowl of water with you to clean his wound. He will follow you home. Stop here."_

Well, that was interesting.

I did as she said, gathering up all that she asked me to. I took a big knife with me as well, just in case things didn't go as well as I hoped. I walked back to the water's edge and checked the line. I needed a fish for this.

Right after I arrived, I caught a small fish. It wouldn't have been large enough to feed us all, so I could kind of justify feeding it to the dog.

I tucked the fishing gear into the duffle bag and pulled out the bowl, scooping up some water. I had wrapped the stinky little fish in a banana leaf and stuck it in the bag. I carried the bowl of water and headed in the direction the dog had run off.

It wasn't long before I heard whimpering. There was a low warning growl when he noticed me approaching. I pulled out the fish and unwrapped it. I noticed him sniffing the air. I tossed it to him, so it landed by his head. He sniffed it and then scarfed it down, while he watched me warily.

I whimpered a little like Alice had told me to, and he let me approach. I showed him the bowl of water, and he drank a little and then sniffed my hand. He let me pet his head for a minute, but whimpered when he shifted his body. He was lying on his side. The arrow was sticking all the way through his leg. It made me feel sick to my stomach, but I had to pull myself together to do this.

I talked softly to him, trying to let him know that it would be okay. Then I suddenly sat on his head. To my surprise, he didn't fight me much. I remembered the tip of the arrows unscrewed, so I carefully removed it and quickly pulled the stick through. I felt him thrash under me, but I rubbed his belly while talking softly and poured the water over his wound. He started to settle down, and I carefully got off of him. He jumped up and checked his leg, licking it.

We didn't have time to make friends, because we were suddenly surrounded by three wild cats. They were big like mountain lions. Well, one was big and two were smaller, but just as threatening. I guess they'd heard the dog whimpering and thought him an easy meal.

I wasn't going to be arrogant.

"HELP! FOR GOD SAKES, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE NOW! HELP!" I screamed.

The dog was snarling madly, and I was screaming as loudly as I could, hoping it sounded threatening. I pulled the knife from my bag and stood up, yelling for help.

Edward came running again, thank god. He shot one of the smaller cats, causing it to jump and move towards its mother. Then he shot the mother twice and then the other small one.

The three of them started to run away, and Edward started cursing. "What is with you today?" He saw the dog take a defensive stance next to me when he yelled, "What the hell?"

"We made friends." I picked up the arrow and screwed the end back onto it.

"Does he have a name?" I shook my head no. "Sam," he stated plainly.

"Sam?" I asked and looked down at the dog and shrugged. "Sam it is," I said rubbing the dog's head.

"You need to take Jacob, so I can go get my arrows back." I looked at him worried. Those cats were all larger and more dangerous than one dog. "I'll be fine," he said and helped me put the baby on my back.

I picked up my duffle bag and bowl and headed to where I knew some lemons and limes were growing. I grabbed a mango and what Edward was fairly certain was a papaya. The chickens loved the seeds. There were some leafy greens Edward had said were edible, so I picked some for dinner. We would be having a salad, since I hadn't caught a big fish. And what I had caught, I'd fed it to Sam.

Jake was standing on the bed, holding on to the wall and bouncing happily. He was squealing at Sam, trying to get him to come closer, but Sam just licked the air in his direction and whimpered at him to talk back. I knew they were going to be great friends.

I refilled Jake's sippy and gave it to him, and then I used the rest of the water to wash the leaves I had picked.

Sam took a little interest in my chickens when we'd first come back, but I snapped at him, yelling when he looked at them. Instead of going for the chickens, he just came into the house and sat on the floor by the fire.

I started getting worried when Edward hadn't come back after a while. I put Jake down for his nap and stepped out of the house. Sam came with me, but stayed by the door, as if he was guarding Jake. Alice was right; he would be a good dog.

Sam suddenly started barking, and I was worried it was the cats coming for us. I grabbed a knife. I didn't want them to get near the baby.

Sam ran off into the forest, and I looked back at the sleeping baby, trying to decide whether or not to go after him.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	6. Chapter 6 Dirty dreams

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

**Dollybigmomma is the beta love of my life.**

**Chapter 6 – Dirty Dreams**

**BELLA**

I was about to go after Sam, when I heard laughing.

"Come on, Sam," I heard Edward call, just as he broke through the trees.

I let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me half to death! I thought you were hurt."

He looked at me surprised and noticed the knife in my hand. "Sorry. Mind giving me a hand? I need to hang these up in a tree."

It was then I realized he was dragging three dead cats behind him. I didn't realize how big the momma one was until I saw it stretched out. It was as big as Edward. Much thinner, but the size of its paws was downright scary. The two smaller ones were both larger than Sam, but still obviously her cubs.

"It was a good thing we got them at this size. I don't think I could've taken all three of them on fully grown," Edward spoke as he strung them up in the tree. "We should have meat from these guys for days."

I never thought I would say it, but some roasted cat sounded pretty darned good right about now.

"I hope Sam is hungry. I'd hate to see this stuff go to waste," he said smiling at Sam, who was sitting and wagging his tail, with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth like a domestic dog.

"You might not want to be around for this part," he said and started cutting the inside leg of the first cat.

I quickly moved to the house to avoid watching the mess he was going to make.

He was out there for a little over an hour. At least I think it was that long. The sun was lower in the sky when Edward came walking in. "Do you have the pantyhose?"

I looked at him confused.

He rolled his eyes at me, and I had to laugh a little, because he had picked it up from me. I pulled them out and handed them to him. When I walked out, I saw him cutting large chunks of meat off the dead animals, wrapping them in banana leaves and shoving them into the pantyhose.

There was little more than skeletons hanging in the trees now. It looked disgusting. He gave me a fairly nice cut of meat to cook for dinner and asked me to bring him out a change of clothes. He was taking the stuffed pantyhose down to the creek to keep it cool and fresh under the water and then take a shower in the waterfall.

Jake was up by the time Edward came back. I noticed Edward looked happy, but tired. "Make sure that's thoroughly cooked," he said poking a small sticking into the fire, making the end glow.

Jake was calling "Da-Da" at him and making his way over to him along the wall. I knew he'd take his first steps soon. Edward picked up his son and headed out the door, calling to Sam. I could hear them right outside the house. Jake was saying, "Tic-tic, ere, tic-tic," which was how he knew I called the chickens. I could hear the chickens jumping around excitedly, but figured Edward was keeping the rooster away from Jake.

When I was sure the meat was cooked all the way through, I stepped outside. Edward was pushing the glowing stick end into the ground. "All done," he said rubbing Sam's head.

The chickens were pecking at the ground, and Jacob was holding onto Edward's shoulder, still calling the chickens. I giggled at the peaceful sight, and Edward looked up, surprised to be caught relaxing. "Dinner ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is. I see you and Sam made friends."

"Of course, I'm the Alpha. I brought home food, and it doesn't hurt that I pulled an army of ticks off of him, either."

"Ticks!" I squealed in disgusted. My whole body shivered, and then I realized what the chickens were eating.

Edward started laughing at my convulsing body.

"That's so freaking gross!" I said as my skin started to get all creepy crawly.

I went inside and served up plates of food for Edward and Jake. I cut myself a piece and gave the rest to Sam who, to my surprise, just nosed his food.

Edward laughed and told me that Sam had already had quite the feast while he was gutting the cats. That was disgusting.

I took the dishes and the laundry down to the creek to wash up and took a bath while I was at it, trying to get rid of that creepy crawly feeling. I brought back a pot of water to boil for breakfast. It was nearly dark when I returned, and Edward was lying down with Jake, who was flopping on the bed.

Once I lay down with him, Jacob settled down and went to sleep. I noticed Edward went right to sleep as well. He must have been exhausted. I shifted Jake off of me and wiggled a little. I still had that creepy crawling feeling on my skin and couldn't sleep. I shifted left and right and flopped around. I was getting tired, but still just couldn't settle down.

I must have bumped Edward as I was flopping and whimpering, because he woke up. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm scared I have ticks on me," I whined. I hated that my period was making me so damned emotional that I was nearly in tears.

He sat up and made a motion for me to come over to him. "I'll check you." I looked at him shocked. "Come on, I want to get to sleep," he growled.

I let out a huff and let him pull me over. I was surprised at how thoroughly he checked my hair and even my ears. Once he was done, he sat back and said. "Okay, take off your shirt, so I can check your back and under your arms."

My face screwed up in displeasure. I didn't really want to get naked in front of him. I mean, he was good looking, but I was on the rag and…

"I was a doctor," he said cutting off my thoughts.

"What?"

"Seeing you naked isn't going to be a big deal for me, because I was a doctor. I can do naked," he said with a shrug, as if it really wasn't a big deal.

I looked at him surprised, not completely sure if I should believe him, but then he lay back when I waited too long and closed his eyes.

"Fine, but you need to check my shirt and my hair again to make sure they didn't fall off into my hair when I took my shirt off."

He rolled his eyes at me and nodded okay annoyed. ANNOYED! He must've been a doctor. Guys didn't get annoyed by naked women!

My back was to him as he checked my shirt inside and out and set it aside. He carefully rechecked my hair, and I thought of having him do this every night. The way his fingers massaged my scalp was very relaxing. He checked my ears and neck and ran his hands down my back, sending a tingle through my body.

"Uncross your arms," he said grabbing my elbows, raising them over my head. It was hard not to squirm as his fingertips ran over my underarms. I suddenly felt overly exposed, even though he was sitting behind me. It didn't change the fact that a man was sitting next to me, while I was naked. I wasn't horribly shy, but I wasn't used to being naked around people, either.

"After your done menstruating, be sure to do your breast exam," he reminded me like a regular doctor. "Stand up, so I can check the backs of your knees." I stood up, and he ran his hands down my legs. I was wearing a pair of little sleep shorts that came in the trunk. "Now lift your breasts so I can see the underside," he said very professionally.

I covered my chest with my hands and lifted my breasts. When he slowly traced his hands under them and down my ribs, a shiver ran through my body.

He looked up at me concerned. "Cold?" he asked.

I just cleared my throat and nodded yes.

"Alright, well, I'll, um, leave the rest for you to check on your own." He flopped back and closed his eyes. I stood there, half-naked in sleep shorts, looking down at the most mysterious man I had ever met. His hands had sent tingles all over my body, arousing me in ways I hadn't thought would have been be possible for _him_ to do.

I looked over at him. Sure, he was an ass, but he was a _really_ handsome one, and apparently a doctor as well. He was obviously not interested in me, because I could see his breathing had already changed, and he was asleep again.

I slid my shorts down and flipped them inside out, checking to make sure there were no ticks and breathed a sigh of relief. I folded them and set them on my shirt, looking over my side of the bed. He was still out. Now I just had to check under my underwear. I was sure I would be clean.

I folded my panties and set them on top of my night shorts. I ran my hands over my bottom. All smooth, no ticks. I breathed a sigh of relief. I glance back at Edward to make sure he wasn't looking, before I checked my girl parts. It wasn't as if I was playing with them, I just didn't want him to see me checking them. It just made me uncomfortable.

I made sure he was deep asleep, before I took my hands and tried to ignore the aroused feelings Edward had left behind, and I checked for smooth skin.

A bump…OH, MY GOD, I FELT A BUMP!

I started hyperventilating. I had a tick on my cooch! I panicked and started whacking Edward's leg in a panic of tears. I was freaking out so bad I couldn't answer when he asked what was wrong. I just pointed down. He looked over at my folded panties and shorts and realized I was checking for ticks. "You found one?" he asked still half asleep.

I nodded frantically in hysterical tears. I knew I shouldn't have sat on the dog's head. That was just plain stupid!

"Fine, fine, I'll get it off. Calm down and tell me where it is," he said, not even bothered by my lack of clothes. He walked over to the glowing fire and picked up a twig with a red coal end.

I squealed, freaking out even more.

"Settle down, it's for the tick, not you. You need to shut up, or you're going to wake up Jacob," he growled. "Now, where is this tick?" he asked more awake.

I was pointing to my cooch.

He grumbled. "Makes sense, since you're menstruating, it would be attracted to there."

I burst out in a hysterical sob.

"Geez, woman, please, just shut up. I'm getting it off. Now lay down and…" he paused as he squatted in front of me and then laughed at himself. "I was going to reach for the stirrups. Jesus, I need some sleep." He grabbed me behind my knees and pulled me down to him, spreading me wide. He let out a sigh and leaned closer. "I'm not seeing it."

"What? It was there. I felt it. Oh, my god, what if it tried to go inside? I'm going to die!" I squealed as quietly as I could, trying not wake up Jacob with my exhausting PMS hysterics.

"Just give me a minute, and I'll look around." I felt him run his hands over my ass, up to the front, and then spread my lips. "Are you feeling any sort of discomfort?" he asked.

I swallowed hard. "No," I squeaked, trying to hide my arousal.

"Are you sure you felt one?"

"Yes, why on earth would I let you..." I flung my hand in the general direction of my cooch, "…if I didn't?"

He scrubbed his face with one of his hands. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. I'm not finding it."

"How can you not find it? It was just there! You have to get it off. It was right here!" I said reaching to where I'd last felt it. I squealed in disgust, "Oh, god! It's still there! Get it! Get it!"

"Where?" he asked, looking down, and I poked at it again, shuddering. He let out a huff. "Bella," he grabbed my hand and pressed it against the little monster. I squealed and yanked it away. He ran his thumb over it. "Settle down, Bella, that's just a mole."

"What?" I sat up shocked. It wasn't as if I could see the area, and I didn't regularly play around down there, either, so how was I supposed to know what was there?

"It's just a mole." He ran his thumb over it again, and it gave me another shiver. "Ticks don't feel like that," he sighed and stood up. "Get dressed," he said and walked out, leaving me feeling like a complete idiot, and totally alone.

**A/N: I hope you're all laughing. I am, silly Bella. See, I promised you skin. Don't worry, it'll start getting hotter from here on out. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7 broken dreams

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta queen!**

**Chapter 7 – Broken Dreams**

**EDWARD**

Bella was a mystery to me.

I couldn't hear a single thought off of her, and the way she acted...well, I guess I should've been thankful that she wasn't a whiny, girly, bitch.

We were stranded on an island with a baby, and she seemed to accept it. I realized as well that she also had accepted death on the plane. Or maybe she knew something that I didn't. Maybe she had an Alice of her own, or maybe she was her own Alice.

No, that couldn't have been right. That wouldn't make sense.

She was quiet, and I was grateful for that. She would occasionally try and get me to talk with her, but I was very out of practice with carrying on a normal conversation. I'd sometimes sit with Alice, she'd see the conversation in her head, and I would just sit there and watch it play out in her mind. Words very seldom were spoken out loud between us, there just wasn't a need.

Using my voice was foreign, but required now.

At first, I thought I had hit my head and lost my ability, but I could still get thoughts off of the baby. He mostly just wanted his mother. Bella, she was silent. It was nice and frustrating at the same time. She wasn't normal, not that I was a picture of normal myself, but she didn't seem all that freaked out by our situation.

She did what she could to help make the best of it. She unpacked and moved right in. She stuffed the bed and found food. She had silently made the gathering of food and fishing her chore, where I worked on structures, planted the garden and tried my hand at hunting. I had to learn to shoot straight.

She had a way of charming things. The way the baby took to her instantly, for example. I knew he loved her like his mother. I wondered if he confused them. Bella cared for Jake, that much was obvious, and I found myself wondering if she had children or siblings she cared for.

The chickens followed her around in the most humorous of ways. Since I was not a great conversationalist, Bella would often talk to her chickens like they were her best friends. She didn't know, but I often listened in and found her quite humorous and entertaining. Still, even listening in, I couldn't figure her out. She never spoke of anyone else in her life before the crash. She mostly spoke of things she missed. Usually different kinds of food or books, and I wondered what she had done for a living.

I had asked once, and she'd said she was a student. She was young, and I wondered how young she really was and what was she a student of? I hoped it wasn't high school. She seemed older than that, more mature, and she seemed to know a lot about taking care of herself.

Alice's letter had warned me to give Bella space, but when I caught her taking pills, I worried. Of course, she just snapped at me and told me that I was taking the baby. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on with her.

She was moody and snappy, but in kind of a funny way. I think she would have been pissed if I'd laughed at her, though. She razzed me about my shooting and bragged she knew more about sports than I did. I knew she couldn't play anything, she could barely walk.

When she fell into me the first few times, I thought it was a lame attempt at flirting, but then she snapped and told me to get over myself. I just didn't like being touched. I usually knew why people were touching me, and their intentions never met their actions. I found it sickening, and I didn't want to play their games. The fake bitches could keep their hands to themselves.

Bella had only reached out to touch me a couple of times. Once, when we first introduced ourselves, because she thought I had a head injury, and then when she woke me from my nightmare.

She never brought it up again and never touched me on purpose after that. I was silently grateful to her for leaving me alone. I didn't think I could handle a girl's hands on me, when I was unsure of her intentions. Even when touching wasn't involved, things went wrong. Tanya was proof of that, the sick, lying, psychopathic bitch. I couldn't let her hurt my brother.

I shook the thoughts of Tanya out of my head. I hated that bitch. She'd ruined my life. I needed to stop thinking about her. I didn't want to snap at Bella for no reason.

Bella had once again proved she was a charmer, when she befriended a wild dog, the very same dog that had nearly attacked and killed her. The girl was nuts and impossible to figure out.

She confused me even further, when I returned to camp after dispatching the cougars. She stood holding a knife and shouted at me, furious because she had been worried about me. The expression on her face proved her words were sincere. This odd woman seemed to care for me.

When I returned from cleaning up, little Jake called out to me, calling me "Da-Da." I knew Bella knew I was not his father, but she still taught him to call me dad. I had to admit it warmed my heart when he reached his chubby little hands out to me, calling for me. I couldn't resist picking him up and talking with him about my day.

I told him about the cave the cats had lived in as I picked the ticks off the dog. Once Sam figured out what I was doing, he held still and let me handle him without complaint. Little Jake was practically dancing with excitement as the chickens hopped around, fighting for the bugs I threw at them to eat.

I couldn't help but laugh a little at myself. I was sitting outside the house, playing with the baby, watching the chickens scratch, as I took care of the dog. It was such an ordinary scene for a country boy that I couldn't help but smile. I was by no means a country boy, but I could see the appeal in the life. I guess in a way, that was my life now.

Bella came out to let us know dinner was ready. When I told her about the ticks, her reaction was hilarious. She shivered and gagged, and I watched as she scratched her arm, neck and leg through the evening. She had cleaned up after dinner, and I was thankful that she had gotten Jake to settle down. I was tired from dragging those damn cats.

I wanted to get as much sleep as possible, before the nightmares started up again. I had gotten pretty good at waking myself, before I woke Bella. I'd slip out at night and go to a little meadow on the far side of the clearing. I had my recorder in a hollow tree there, and I would play a few songs, before I'd eventually fall asleep.

Of course, that didn't happen this evening. This evening, everything changed. I woke up to a slap in the face. I looked over at Bella to see what the hell was up, because she was good about never touching me. She knew it made me uncomfortable. I saw her flopping around, and she sounded like she was crying. It was then I noticed she was still awake.

I asked her what was wrong and was surprised that she was still freaking out about the ticks. It was ridiculous, really. I mean she'd faced down a wild dog and then kept her cool when she faced down three cougars, but not a little tick. _"Oh, help me!"_ I mentally teased. I had a feeling it wouldn't have gone over well if I'd said it out loud.

I told her I'd check her, and she looked at me like I was nuts. I let her know that I had been a doctor before we'd ended up on the island and feel a little bad. It really wasn't a lie, but it hadn't been the truth, either. I hadn't been licensed to practice for over a year.

I checked her hair, and I was surprised to feel how soft it was. I found myself getting distracted playing with it, but hid it as just thoroughly checking her hair. I looked behind her ears and checked in them as well. Her skin was sunburned, but still soft. I would've thought she'd be rough and dried out like me, but she wasn't. She was so soft. Her neck was beautiful and long. The curve seemed to call to me. I quickly shook the inappropriate thoughts out of my head. I was out of practice. I needed to focus on the task and ignore the girl. I had to stay in doctor mode.

I knew she probably didn't have any ticks on her, but I figured I'd be thorough, so she'd be able to sleep. I had a feeling she would be flopping all night if I didn't pull it together and get this examination over with.

She looked panicked and appalled when I asked her to take her shirt off. I was just going to let it be. If she was fine with not getting all the way checked, I wasn't going to push her. Of course, the next thing I knew, she was telling me to recheck everything and her shirt.

Little girl was a little paranoid.

Her back was beautiful. I found myself running my hands down it, and then I quickly chastened myself for getting lost in her soft skin.

Doctor mode, I told myself.

I had her lift her arms, and I could see the sides of her breast. I had never really been all the interested in sex. My mind had seen it all, and it usually looked rather disgusting, but I was finding her body beautiful.

I found myself brushing the sides of her breasts and then cursing myself for being so disgusting myself. I had her stand to put some distance between us and checked her legs.

Her body was toned. Living on the island had been a workout, forget the gym. I knew I had gained quite a bit of muscle building the house and working the land. It looked like the same had happen to her. I ran my hands down her body and back up, until I reached the edge of her shorts. I looked up to see her biting her lip nervously.

I checked under her breasts, and she shivered lightly like she was cold, but I couldn't imagine that she was. It was hot and humid. When I asked her, she just said yes, and I let it slide. I knew I needed to stop, while she still thought I was acting like a professional.

I flopped back on the bed, leaving her to check the rest while I did my best to fall asleep. It wasn't long before she woke me, frantic and completely naked. She wasn't even trying to cover herself, and tears were running down her face.

I asked her what was wrong and was able to guess that she had found a tick. I grabbed a twig with a hot coal end to get rid of the tick for her, and she freaked out. I finally got her settled and asked her where the damn thing was. I was actually surprised she'd found one.

When she told me where it was, I wanted to kick myself.

Doctor!

Doctor!

I was a doctor. I could do this and not be bothered by it.

Doctor, I said to myself and focused, sitting down and then reached for the stirrups that weren't there. After laughing at myself, I was able to focus a little better and examine her. I couldn't find the damn tick anywhere, but the way she was freaking out, I was pretty sure she'd found something.

A mole.

Bella had found a mole.

I thought she was pulling my leg, but when I pressed her finger into it, she freaked out, almost screaming. Honestly, I didn't know how Jake slept through it.

It was hard not to laugh at her, and it was also hard not to find her completely endearing. This girl was innocent. She wasn't familiar with that part of her body at all. My guess was she was probably a virgin.

I quickly removed myself from her presence, letting her get dressed. I had to for my own sanity.

Her being innocent changed everything. I knew for sure that she wasn't some hussy, playing a game or trying to trick me into fucking her. No, she didn't want that from me. It obviously wasn't something she did. All my rudeness and pushing her away had been for nothing, and now I suddenly found myself even more attracted to her.

I eventually made it back to bed. She was lying with her back to me, and when I asked her if she was alright, she just nodded her head silently, not looking at me.

I kind of felt bad for not having been nicer to her.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Dollybigmomma is the Beta master!**

**Chapter 8 – Wild Dreams**

**EDWARD**

I woke up the next morning with something that I hadn't had to deal with since I was a teenager.

I was hard.

I had serious morning wood. It wasn't that it never happened, it just rarely did. So rarely, that I was a little shocked by its appearance and panicked. I'd ended up sleeping through the night. Well, most of it. I did have one bad dream, but I was awakened by the most hilarious thing.

Bella was singing.

And what song was she singing?

The Gilligan's Island theme song.

That's right. Of all the songs this woman could have sung, she sang that one.

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip…that started in a tropic port aboard a tiny ship..."

I lay their listening, not sure if I was hallucinating, and trying not to laugh at the same time.

I ended up joining in on her song as she sang, "No phone, no light, no motor car, not a single luxury. Like Robinson Caruso, as primitive as can be…" She rolled toward me and smiled. "You're singing."

"Alice said it might help you sleep, and, well, since I was the one keeping you up, I thought it only fair that I try and help you sleep."

"Gilligan's Island?" I asked smirking.

She shrugged. "It seemed fitting."

I chuckled and nodded my head. "I guess you're right." I flopped back down on our bed and went back to sleep. I didn't remember what I dreamt, but it wasn't a bad dream. I never woke up with boners, when I had a bad dream.

So here I was, trying to sneak out of our house, with a huge boner. I needed to get rid of it, before she woke up. I looked back at her and smiled as Jake snuggled closer to her, her arm wrapped around him in her sleep. She was a natural with him.

Sam stood up as I started to head out, but I shooed him off, telling him to stay. I didn't want any eyes on me, while I did…that. It was bad enough I had to do it outside, but since this place lacked enclosed showers, I'd just have to deal with it.

I thought I had wandered far enough, I thought I would be safe. It was my own damn fault I was in this predicament, that I'd decided not to go further, because walking with the monster in my pants was too uncomfortable.

It was my own fault that I pictured Bella's beautiful body. Of all the women I had ever encountered, I'd never degraded one by thinking of them like that. Yet, the one time I had, said woman would end up standing behind me in shock.

**BELLA**

Edward wasn't there when I woke up, and I wondered if he'd had another nightmare and left. I felt bad that I wasn't able to help him through it. I decided that I would do my best to help him at night. He really did deserve a good night's rest.

I looked over Jacob's sleeping form, sure that he'd be out a little while longer. I figured I would have enough time to run and get a pot of water and set off for the creek. As I was headed back, I heard something.

It sounded like Edward, but it was an odd grunting noise. He groaned and was panting hard. I went in the direction of his voice, wondering what he was up to so early in the morning and see if he need any help.

I was shocked by what I found. Edward was leaning with one hand against a tree and the other on himself. On his…you know what, his man piece. I had never seen it done, but I was pretty sure Edward was jacking off.

His hips and hand worked in tandem. His eyes were squeezed shut, his jaw clenched tight, but occasionally it loosened as he panted or groaned out.

One might have been disgusted by this scene, but that was impossible. Edward, for god sakes, was so freaking hot. I found myself entranced by him…by his face, you sicko. I didn't have the nerve to stare at _that_ part of him. It wasn't fully in view, anyway.

The way his neck tightened and his jaw clamped as he threw his head back was glorious. I was curious as to who he was thinking of as he did that. When I heard it, it was barely audible, but I did hear it.

He grunted out my name.

MY NAME!

He was thinking of me! I knew he couldn't have looked me over for ticks that thoroughly and not have gotten as hot and bothered as I had. He'd just hidden it a whole lot better.

His body sagged against the tree as he let out a few last grunts, and then he fell to his knees, resting his head against the tree. Apparently, it was a good one, because he stayed there, unmoving, and I realized I had to get the hell out of there, before he noticed me watching.

I mean, jacking off was something guys did, that was normal. Being the freak who watched a guy who barely spoke to you jack off? Yeah, that was a little sick.

Oh, my god, I was a peeping TOM!

I gasped at my realization of being such a sicko, and Edward's face snapped to my presence.

He knew I had been watching him. I was so fucked up.

"Sorry," I squeaked and quickly tried to back away, but ended up tripping as I tried to turn around, and fell on my ass.

"Bella?" I heard him call to me, as he got up. I let out a groan. My stupid ankle was throbbing. "Are you alright?" he asked, coming to me with concern in his eyes, as if I hadn't just been acting like a sick peeping Tom pervert, watching him jack off a few minutes ago.

I tried to quickly scramble to my feet, but my ankle was not cooperating with me. Edward reached out and helped me up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," I spat out, and he frowned at me.

Did he not know I'd watched him?

He might not have known I'd watched him, and I'd just told him I had. Great.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked again, and I pulled back from him, limping a little.

"Yeah, I think it's only twisted. I just need to take it easy on it for a little while."

He picked up the now-empty pot for water. "Fine, can you make it back to the house?" he asked.

I nodded yes, not trusting that I wouldn't say something stupid.

"I'll get the water, you just take it easy today," he said. "I'll wrap your ankle up when I get back."

I nodded dumbly and started to hobble away, grateful he didn't call me out on my watching him get off.

**EDWARD**

I snatched the pot and hurried away from her, trying to make sense of her reaction.

Sorry?

She was sorry I was jacking off to images of her doing depraved things with me?

I didn't get that girl.

Maybe she hadn't heard me call her name and thought she'd just stumbled on me getting off. I hoped that was the case, though that was still pretty bad. I really didn't want her to think of me as the sick bastard I truly was.

For some reason, I cared what Bella thought of me. I hadn't cared for years what people thought of me, but now, being stuck here with her, it was suddenly very important that she not hate me or feel disgusted by my presence.

She was sorry? I chuckled to myself as I made my way back to the house with the pot of water. I was silently hoping Jake had woken up, so we wouldn't be able to discuss it further.

That'd be awkward.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta Queen.**

**Chapter 9 – Familiar Dream**

**BELLA**

I made it back to the house with little incident. Sam sat stoically at the door, guarding little Jacob until our return.

I sat down on the bed and took off my shoe to examine my ankle a little better. I didn't think it was sprained. I leaned back on the bed and groaned in annoyance. I had made such a fool of myself.

"How does it look?" Edward's voice startled me.

I jumped a little and sat up. "I'm fine," I said unable to look at his face.

"Mind if I look at it?" he asked.

I just shrugged.

He knelt down in front of me and lifted my foot carefully to his lap. I looked up at him, while his focus was on my ankle. He looked a little worried, but when I didn't cry out as he poked around my ankle, he smiled. He looked up suddenly, catching me looking at him. I quickly looked away.

"You should be fine, Bella."

I just nodded my head in agreement.

He let out a huff and looked over at Jacob's sleeping form. "So, are we going to be weird and silent now?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. I swear I didn't know you were..." I quickly looked away not able to voice what I heard. "I was curious about what you were up to and was coming to help," I whispered ashamed of myself.

Edward chuckled, but it wasn't a happy one. "Well, Bella, feel free to help with that anytime you want," he said smirking.

That crass jackass! I reached out and slapped him.

He looked at me shocked and then swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. I was just making a joke. I'm not very good at talking with people, and I just wanted to lighten the mood," he said rubbing his face.

I looked up at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. I knew he wasn't a talker.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your…um…personal time," I said.

He just laughed and shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Bella. I'm sorry it was even an issue. It usually isn't for me."

"But it is now?"

He looked at me nervously and seemed very uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. "I usually don't interact with women," he said scratching his arm.

"Oh, you're gay, that's alright. I understand," I said a little disappointed.

"What? No, I just…I'm not very good at talking with people. Women like to talk. I don't do that very well," he said nervously.

"I've noticed."

"I'm sure you have, and I'm sorry. It isn't like there's anyone else here to talk to," he said scratching the back of his neck. "I'll try and do better for you." He looked up at me with such a sad, but sweet look. I wanted to hug him, but I knew he didn't like to be touched, so I stayed in my place and smiled in thanks.

"So, you need to stay off that today. We don't want it getting worse and taking longer to heal."

"Yeah, good thing you already have food. You just need to pick a few pieces of fruit, and we can take a day off to relax."

He smiled a beautiful smile at me. He grabbed the duffle bag I usually took and hurried out the door with Sam on his heels.

While he was out, Jacob woke up, so I made breakfast while standing on one foot.

Edward came back in and frowned. "You should be keeping that elevated," he said pointing to my foot.

"Yeah, sure," I said with an eye roll.

"Da-Da," Jacob called out to him, bouncing around.

"I already changed his diaper this morning. Why don't you feed him, and I'll put my foot up," I said with a smile.

He scooped up Jacob, who looked so tiny compared to Edward. Jacob squealed with excitement. He loved Edward as if he was his father.

"Hey, little man, you slept late today. Are you feeling alright?" he said feeling his forehead.

"Is he alright?" I asked a little worried.

"Yeah, I think so. We should check Alice's letters to be sure. She'd see if he was coming down with something."

"See?"

He scratched his beard. "Do you not believe that she can see the future?" he said motioning to the trunks.

I nodded in agreement and pulled out my letter. It just said I should stay in bed and keep my foot up. I needed to let Edward take care of me, because it would be good for him.

"What did it say?" he asked.

"Nothing about Jacob, just that I should take it easy and stay off my foot."

He nodded his head in agreement. "I'll check mine after breakfast."

It was sweet watching Edward interact with Jacob. It wasn't that he never took care of Jacob. He did just as much as I did, but we were very seldom together when he had him.

Edward was a loner, that much was evident, and although he was quiet and guarded around me, he seemed to open up with little Jacob.

When he started playing patty cake, I couldn't help but smile a split-faced grin. "You're very good with him. Do you have children of your own?" I asked.

He looked at me, shocked for a moment, and then shook his head no. "Do you? Have kids, I mean."

"No, no kids, no siblings and no boyfriend or significant other. What about you?"

He shook his head no. "That requires talking, and I'm not good at that."

I let out a laugh. "Right, I almost forgot. Well, at least I know you don't hate me."

He looked at me worried. "You thought I hated you?"

I shrugged. "You didn't seem very pleased to be stuck with me."

He frowned. "I'm pleased to be stuck with you. I mean, I'm sorry we're stuck here, but it could be a lot worse. You're not so bad."

"Gee thanks!" I said feigning offense, teasing him.

He opened and closed his mouth and then frowned. "I didn't mean..."

"I'm just kidding, Edward. I know you suck with words." He let out a sigh. "So, what kind of doctor were you?" I asked.

He looked at me nervously, as if he didn't want to answer, and then spoke softly. "I was a surgeon. So, what, um, were you going to school for?" he asked.

I shrugged, and he looked at me confused.

"I was undeclared. I had a few things I was considering, but hadn't picked one yet."

He nodded his head at me. "So, um, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two. And you?" I asked in return.

"Twenty-eight, I mean twenty-nine."

"Right, because you just had your birthday," I said smiling.

He smiled back and nodded yes.

"So, what did you do with the gift Alice sent?" I asked wondering if he could even play it.

"I keep it in a hollowed-out tree," he pointed in a general direction.

"Right, with the pornos, that makes sense," I teased.

It took him a minute to register what I'd said, and then he quickly clamped his hands over Jacob's ears. "I don't have any of that." He was obviously embarrassed and distressed by the subject.

"Right, otherwise you would've had one out this morning. That's too bad. Maybe Alice will bring you some later."

"Jesus, Bella, I'm not a sexual deviant," he said defensively, still covering Jacob's ears.

I laughed. "I didn't think you were. I thought that's just what guys did, isn't it?"

He was red and uncomfortable. "I, um, I don't know, but I don't usually…I don't engage in such…it's not something…" The poor guy was frazzled, and I felt bad for upsetting him.

"It's cool, Edward, I get it. You're a gentleman. That's good to know," I said smiling and flopped back on the bed and closed my eyes, hoping the conversation was over.

I could hear him let out a relieved huff and go back to talking with Jacob.

Silly man.

He was kind of fun to mess with, though.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is the Beta master!**

**Chapter 10 – Sweet Dreams**

**EDWARD**

I wasn't sure what to talk about when I was with Bella, but she usually took control of the conversation. She asked me about my family a couple of times, but I carefully steered away from the topic. She didn't talk about her parents. I remembered that she'd said she was an only child, so at least I knew that much about her.

I noticed she was a little bit sassier when she was menstruating, but there was no way I would tell her that. I found it more entertaining than threatening. There really wasn't anything threatening about Bella. Of course, at the same time, I thought she could easily crush my soul. For some reason, I needed her. I didn't know why, but I just did. It was important to me that she was alive and had what she needed.

I didn't really know how or when it happened, but somehow my life's focus went from me surviving, to making sure Bella survived. I wondered if Alice had seen that.

I had to admit, the silence was comfortable. I figured it would be difficult for me to adjust to hearing everyone again, once we were rescued. I didn't want that. Just hearing Jacob's innocence was enough. I didn't want to hear the ugly thoughts of the rest of the human race.

I would love to be able to hear Bella and figure out what was really going on in her head, because sometimes I would see her watching me, and the look on her face was unsettling, like she was unsure of me. I was afraid the truth of my life was seeping through. I could only hide it for so long, but Alice hadn't insisted that I tell her.

It pained me to keep the truth from her, but I was too scared that she'd run away from me if she found out. I didn't think I could handle it if the only person who could speak to me only yelled for me to leave her alone. I needed her to want me to stay. I didn't know why, I just did.

**BELLA**

Edward was a mystery. He never spoke of his family, but from the way he flinched when I asked, I was pretty sure he had one. He still hadn't even told me his last name.

It was silly. I felt like I was falling for a man, and I didn't even know his last name. I could see in his eyes that he was in a lot of pain. He seemed so scared of me, and I didn't understand it. Even in my PMS moodiness, I didn't think I was that scary.

I had taken to hanging out with Edward, instead of going off on my own. He'd said he would make an effort to talk to me more, so I decided to do my best to take advantage of it. Often, it was just me talking and him humming answers in response.

I spoke of cooking and different recipes I would like to try. I talked of things I missed, like air conditioning and falling asleep in the bathtub.

I told him about my amazing cookies and promised him once we got back that I would make him some. It was when I said that that, I noticed his flinch. "No, no that's okay, Bella, you don't have to bother with me," he said.

At first, I thought he didn't think I was good enough to associate with, but when I confronted him on it, he just shook his head no sadly.

"I'm no good, Bella," he said so quietly I almost missed it. "It'd be best if you just forgot about me when we got back. I'm not someone you want to associate yourself with."

I was mad at him for saying that. He wasn't bad. I knew he wasn't bad. He'd saved a baby. He took care of us and chased after mountain lions. He was good. I was sure of it, but someone had convinced him he was bad.

"You're not bad!" I said with as much conviction as possible.

He just shook his head at me and walked away.

I was glad I was carrying Jacob on my back, so when I shoved him and he stumbled, I didn't feel guilty. "Don't you walk away from me!"

He stopped, but didn't look up.

"Edward, I'm making you cookies, whether you like it or not! I don't care what the fuck is going on with you at home, you will eat my cookies!" I realized I sounded a little crazy, obsessing about needing to feed him cookies. "Why don't you want me, Edward?"

His eyes shot up to mine with a look of panic in them. We'd only been talking for a few weeks now, but I knew it was just me talking, not him. I knew I must've been a pest that he was dying to get rid of.

"You will eat my cookies!" I said storming off, trying to hide how crazy I was feeling and how upset I was.

I stormed back to our little house he had built for us. I set Jacob on the bed and curled up next to him and started crying.

I felt little Jacob patting me, trying to comfort me the way I would comfort him. I looked up at his little face, and he looked so worried. I felt guilty for upsetting the baby.

He pushed into my arms, and I hugged him, crying harder. I didn't know how long I'd been crying, but Edward walked in, clearing his throat.

"Bella," he sounded worried as he said my name. I set Jacob down next to me to see what Edward had to say. I looked up to see he had a large bouquet of flowers. "I'd like to taste your cookies," he said timidly, "If you'll let me."

I didn't know why it was so important to me, but it was. I ended up throwing myself into his arms and crying my eyes out. I hated that I was acting like such a girl. I didn't know why I was so damn weepy, but it was getting annoying.

"After Jacob goes to sleep. I'd like to talk to you," he said seriously. He was shifting from foot to foot nervously.

I kissed his cheek and got to cooking dinner. I saw him touch his cheek and smile. Yes, I knew Edward was good. Bad people didn't smile like that when they were kissed on the cheek.

He really was sweet.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	11. Chapter 11 Crazy dreams

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 11 – Crazy Dreams**

**EDWARD**

Bella was in my arms crying. It was my first instinct to push her away, but I knew I couldn't. I knew she was upset and needed this, and because she needed it, I knew I could do it.

Bella was innocent. Her touch wasn't a chess move in her mind. I knew this, because I saw the way she was hugging Jacob, sobbing softly. The poor little boy looked so distressed, and I hated that I had done that to them.

They both deserved so much better than me, but I was all they had. I needed to be better. I needed to be what they deserved, because there was no one else.

I carefully wrapped my arms around her and held her while she cried. She settled down, and I handed her the flowers I had picked. I realized when she'd stomped off that she had been mad, and I didn't want her to be mad. I remembered my dad bringing my mother flowers and was lucky to know where I could find some. My meadow was covered in orange, red and yellow flowers, but I had no idea what they were. I added some little white one I'd found on my way home. I hoped she wouldn't be so mad that she'd throw them in my face. I had seen that happen to my brother, Emmett, before. Bella was fiery, but I hoped she didn't hold a grudge. She didn't seem like the kind of person that would.

**BELLA**

He'd brought me flowers…beautiful little flowers, and he was holding me. I knew this was hard for him. Touching another human was not something he was comfortable with, but he was doing it, and I knew that maybe I was starting to get through that angry asshole exterior.

Once we put Jacob to sleep, I wiggled off the bed and we walked outside the hut, so we could talk without disturbing the baby.

Edward shuffled nervously, while I sat down on a rock and waited patiently. He sat on the ground in front of me and scratched his neck, like he did when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

"I should start by telling you about my family." He looked up at me to make sure I was listening. I smiled and nodded, encouraging him to speak. He let out a sigh. "I have one brother, and we're both adopted. Emmett and I, we're blood-related and were close, are close," he corrected. "He noticed before anyone else that I was very different. My parents knew something was off about me when they adopted me, but when my father started noticing me answering the thoughts of my brother when I was a toddler, he started testing me. He had me read his mind, and once he confirmed it, they tried to help me cope by giving me space, but sometimes my ability was too much, and it overwhelmed me." He ran his hands roughly through his hair and heaved a heavy sigh.

"It got to where I couldn't go out in public. At one point, they feared I was becoming agoraphobic, because I couldn't leave my house. We lived in a pretty rural area, so I mostly only had to deal with the thoughts of my family," he cleared his throat. "It's difficult when you hear your parent's true thoughts, about how much they worry about you. Parents usually say things to encourage you, but it's hard for them, when they really have so many doubts about their own abilities to raise a 'special' child. Most people don't realize their parents are full of doubts and fears until they're much older. Unfortunately, I learned at a young age that I was the cause of many sleepless nights for them, and that I'd never be normal," he choked on his words a little. "They loved me so much, but I was a difficult kid to work with at times."

I wanted to go to him, but again remembered he didn't like being touched.

"I couldn't attend public school, there were too many voices in my head, it was crippling. I curled up in a little ball under my desk, and my brother was called in to get me out from under it. After that, I was homeschooled. My mother was not happy about having to isolate me from other kids, but there was no way I could function in a group environment without going berserk. She knew I was different, but she didn't know I could read minds. She worked so hard with me, but I know I was a heavy burden for her. Still, she persevered and did her best, raising Emmett and I with love, despite how hard it was for her."

He kept saying he could read minds, and I was a little worried that he was mentally ill. I was stuck on an island with a crazy person. Great! Of course, the fact that he'd said he heard voices made me believe he was schizophrenic. I hoped he wasn't dangerous.

He must have noticed my worried face, because he chuckled blackly. "You don't believe me, do you?"

I cleared my throat and tried to sound encouraging. "Can you read my mind? Can you tell me what I'm thinking?"

He frowned. "No, I've never met anyone like you. You're silent to me. I thought I'd lost my ability in the plane crash, but I hear Jacob fine."

"You hear Jacob?"

His face twisted a little. "Yes." He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "His thoughts are so simply, so pure, not malicious, no resentment. There are no ulterior motives in babies. Most babies and small children's thoughts are pleasant. I don't mind being around them."

I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him, so bad it hurt. I wished it were true, but I didn't have any way to prove it. Was it just me, or was it a little too convenient that the only talking person was the one he couldn't read? I didn't want to upset him. I didn't want to make things worse. I just nodded for him to go on, but he sat silently, listening to the sounds of the night.

"You know, sometimes he thinks you're his mother. He often dreams of her. She used to let him sleep with her the way you let him sleep with you," Edward's eyes opened, and I worried.

What if he was some insane crazy person that had bombed the plane and took a baby? Maybe the baby really was his son. Maybe the woman really had been his wife, and he secretly wanted me to replace her?

Oh, my god! I was stuck with a psychopath on an island. That would just be my freaking luck.

"What are you thinking?" he asked curiously.

There was no way I was telling this loon that I was thinking he was nuts, and I'd figured out he was a psychopath. "Um, I was just thinking it's getting late, and we should get to bed. I'm clumsier if I don't sleep well," I lied.

He frowned and let out a huff. "You're right. You go ahead. Jacob is starting to stir," he said standing up.

I got up and headed to the door. I looked back to see if he was following me. I felt uncomfortable with him now. I regretted pushing him the way I had.

I noticed he wasn't following me, though. He was walking off into the forest. I let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn't be staying with me tonight. It was the first night I didn't miss Edward when he was gone.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my amazing Beta. I know you're all in awe of her work. I know I am.**

**Chapter 12 – Wakeful Dreams**

**EDWARD **

Bella thought I was crazy. I had been so stupid for telling her I could read minds. I couldn't read hers, so I couldn't prove it. If my own family hadn't believed me for years, what the hell made me think she'd believe me? She was trying to be discreet about it at least. She didn't call me a liar or crazy, she just started acting nervous around me, so I decided to spare her and leave. I went to my meadow and pulled out my recorder. Music often took my mind off of what was going on around me. I used it to soothe my tension. Music truly did soothe the savage beast in me.

**BELLA**

I paced back and forth in our tiny hut. I couldn't believe he was nuts. He was freaking nuts. I felt so bad for him. I didn't know if he was born that way or if something had happened to make him that way. The way he spoke about his parents made me think that it was something that had happened to him. Maybe it was the way he had been raised to believe that he was messed up; damaged goods. I was freaking scared and felt bad for him at the same time.

Jacob stirred on the bed, and I snuggled up next to him to help him settle down. I was too keyed up and freaked out to actually fall asleep, though. I slipped out of the bed and did what I always did when I couldn't sleep; I organized. I opened my trunk, and the first thing I noticed was the letter Alice had sent me. Was she real or one of his personalities? I had never seen him act any different from what he was.

He didn't seem all that unstable. I had gotten in his face, blown him off and even hit him, and he never retaliated. He had been grumpy and mildly rude, but never outright mean. I never felt threatened or unsafe. If anything, I felt safer when he was around.

How was I supposed to make sense of this!

I picked up the letter and opened it. It wouldn't make sense for this letter to be written by Edward. He didn't know I would survive. The handwriting was very curly and girly.

I skimmed over the parts I had already read. I looked a couple of paragraphs ahead and started to read.

"_Jacob is cutting his one-year old molars. It's why he's been fussy the past two days. Give him some pain reliever at night, but use it sparingly during the day. Tie some small pebbles in your sock you're not using and give it to him to teeth with. Don't cut your sock; you'll need it later. Stop here."_

I looked over at Jacob and saw he had his hand in his mouth, and I wondered if it was the start of his teething that caused him to stick his hand in his mouth.

I went back to read tomorrow's passage. I figured it wouldn't hurt to know what tomorrow would bring. What I read shocked me.

"_Go to him, you need to believe him. You can believe that I can see the future enough to prepare all of these things for your use. You need to believe me when I say he's my best friend and has the kindest heart. He's not insane, nor is he lying. With time, you'll see the truth come out. Just please go to him. He shouldn't be alone. Listen for the recorder. It'll guide you to him in the dark. Stop here."_

I got up and walked to the door. I noticed Sam look at me. "Look after Jacob," I said. This wild dog was a smart fella, because he lay down next to the bed and put his head down, as if telling me he would stay with him.

I slipped out the door and realized I didn't know where Edward was, just a general direction he had pointed to. I decided to start walking in that direction and see if I could find him. I silently hoped he was playing his recorder, like Alice had said he would be.

I followed the path that led to the field Edward had cleared for the goats, which had yet to appear. I had never had goat's milk before and, well, I was willing to try anything when they did show up. Beggars couldn't be choosers.

I had crossed to the far side of the field, when I heard it. It was faint, but I was sure it was him, because who else would be playing music on the island? There was no one else.

I followed the sound of music, as I clumsily stumbled through the dark. There was no path to where I was headed.

"Bella," I heard the music stop and him call my name.

"Edward," I called to him, "Where are you?"

"Keep talking. I'll come to you. I don't want you falling and hurting yourself in the dark," he said. He was sweet, and his words proved it. He didn't want me to get hurt.

"I'm over here, Edward. Are you close? It's kind of creepy in the dark here," I called to him.

I felt his arms wrap around me from behind. "You should've stayed on the path," he spoke quietly.

"I didn't see a path; it was too dark. I was just following the music," I explained.

He lifted me up, cradling me bridle-style before I could complain and carried me through some thick brush. He finally stepped out onto a well-beaten path I was sure I would've been able to find if the sun had been up.

He carried me over to an old log and sat me down. He sat down next to me and pulled out his recorder. He didn't play it, just looked up at the sky. The open meadow was much brighter than the rest of the forest we'd been in. It was a clear night, and the stars were shining brightly.

"It's beautiful out here. I see why you like it," I said smiling. He gave me a tight smile and nodded in agreement. I let out a sigh. I needed to apologize. "Edward, I'm sorry I reacted badly. You have to understand, it's hard to believe, but I want you to know that I do believe you, and I'm sorry I doubted you."

I wanted to reach out to him, but I knew it would make him uncomfortable. "You've been nothing but helpful and kind as of recently and definitely patient. I mean, I've gone nuts on you more than once, and I'm sorry for that, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

He smiled a little wider and nodded. "I should've kept my mouth shut. I should've realized you'd react badly. Everyone does, don't feel guilty about it," he said trying to make me feel better.

"No, I wanted to know more about you, and you finally opened up to me, but I freaked out. I'm sorry I was such a bitch."

He laughed sadly. "You weren't a bitch, Bella. I think if anything, you reacted rather mildly. I could tell you were uncomfortable, but trying not to let on that you thought I was nuts. Unfortunately, I'm used to people thinking I'm nuts, so it was pretty easy to spot."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I mean, if I can believe Alice can see the future, then I should be able to believe you can read minds, even if you can't read mine."

He smiled. "It is odd that I can't read yours. Maybe you hit _your_ head," he teased.

"Oh, I've hit my head plenty of times, not just in the plane crash, either," I laughed.

"Of course, how can I forget how clumsy you are? You know, I thought you were flirting with me the first couple of times you fell into me," he said smiling.

I laughed, "Are you used to women swooning at your feet? Were you disappointed when I told you to get over yourself, and you saw me stumble into the trees as well?"

"Not disappointed, more relieved. I'm not comfortable around affectionate people."

I rolled my eye at him, but it was too dark for him to see. "Yeah, I figured that out pretty quickly."

"I don't mind you too much. Jacob is easy to be around, and you're not so bad."

"Gee, thanks again with the 'not so bad' stuff. If I die on this island, make sure you carve that into my headstone. 'Here lies Bella, she's not so bad,'" I laughed at myself. That would be a fitting phrase for me.

"I…I didn't...I wasn't...I'm…" he stumbled over his words.

I reached a hand out to him and smiled. He looked at it for a moment and then took it. To my surprise, he took it in both of his hands and let out a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry, Bella. I don't converse well. I know I tend to say the wrong things. I really don't mean to offend you."

"You didn't, Edward. I was just teasing you. I'm glad you find me not so bad. I find you not so bad, too."

The huge smile he flashed at me under the moonlight was beautiful and gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, we might learn to get along after all.

**A/N: See, Bella's not so bad. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master.**

**Chapter 13 – Text Me**

**BELLA**

We sat under the stars, until I realized I had left Jake alone too long. "We should get back to Jake."

"He's fine. I've been watching him," he said tapping his head. "He's still dreaming. When he stops, I know he's awaking up."

I wanted to trust Edward. I really and truly did, but what he'd said was so farfetched. I tried to relax and enjoy my time with him, but I was dying to go check on Jake.

"We need to go now," he finally said helping me up off the ground. He didn't let go of my hand, because he needed to lead me to the path.

"Is Jake okay?" I asked as he started pulling me faster.

"Yes, but he's awake, and Sam isn't sure what to do for him."

"Can you read Sam's mind, too?" I asked.

Edward just laughed. "No, but I can see through Jake that he's licking Jake's toes and whining. He doesn't know how to settle Jake back down."

It was moments later that we came rushing forward into the house and sure enough, Jake was sitting up crying, and Sam was licking his feet. When Sam saw us, he gave up a whimper and plopped down as if he was giving up. I picked up Jake, and Edward petted Sam, telling him he'd done a good job. For a dog, Sam was a pretty good babysitter.

It was later that night, after Jake was asleep and Edward was almost asleep, that I realized something. If Edward could see Sam through Jake, could he see me through Jake?

"Edward," I whispered, but he didn't move. I shoved him, and he instinctively scowled at me. "Hey," I said trying to get him to wake up and roll over to talk to me.

He hummed his answer, "Hmm?"

"You saw Sam," I said.

"Mmm hmm," he answered still half asleep.

"Do you see me, when I have Jake?"

"Mmm hmm," he answered and rolled over with his back to me.

"So, are you spying on me or what?"

He rolled over surprised. "What?"

"You watch me when I don't know it."

"I was just checking on you. I don't watch all day. I usually only tune in when Jake is excited, laughing or crying. Most the time, I'm busy trying to focus on what I'm doing. It's not spying. I'm just making sure you're alright."

"I can take care of myself," I snapped.

"Right, because when a wild dog came to attack the chickens…"

I cut him off, "I had it handled! I could handle Sam, which is obvious, because now he's our babysitter!" I said defensively.

"Mountain lions," was all he said, and I pouted.

He chuckled. "What's the big deal? It isn't as if I'm watching you shower or change. I'm just making sure you're still conscious and not dead. If you could check on me, wouldn't you?"

"What?"

"If we had cell phones, would you check on me during the day? Especially when you know there are wild dogs and mountain lions on the island?"

Okay, he had a point. I shrugged noncommittally.

"Just think of it as me receiving a text that you're cool, alright?" he said and settled back down, closing his eyes.

"So, you can really read little Jake's mind and see what I'm doing?" I said leaning in as if I was a conspirator.

He opened one eye and looked at me, then closed it. "Yes," he said letting out a sigh. "Are you done?" he asked.

"No, but I guess I'll wait until morning."

He nodded in agreement and rolled over, turning his back to me again.

"Hey, Edward," I asked a few minutes later. He didn't answer, but I'd just had an awesome idea.

"EDWARD!" I whisper yelled. "Edddwwwarrrrd," I said in a sing song voice. "Edward," I snapped and nudged him.

"For the love of God, can't it wait until morning?" he finally asked.

"No, I can't sleep. I just got a cool idea, and I don't know if I'll remember it in the morning."

"You have a cool idea?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, we don't have cell phones," I explained.

"Right, I pointed that out earlier," he said with an eye roll.

"But you check on me, like I texted you, right?" I reiterated what he'd told me.

"Right."

"Okay, what if we had, like, a code or something, so I could call you!" I explained excitedly.

"Ah, a code?" he sounded confused. "What do we need a code for?"

"So I can call you!"

"How exactly would you call me?" he asked.

"Okay, I was thinking about it, when you chop wood with your axe, I can usually hear the thumping. So what if I make a sound to call you? You'll know to check on us, and then you can answer me back with a thump. I'll know you're listening, and then I could convey a message through Jake to you, right?"

He raised a surprised eye brow at me. "That may work. We'll have to see how far out it works. You know, how far away we can be and still hear the ring tone," he said smirking. "So, what's your ring tone?" he asked.

I looked around, "Um, maybe banging the pot lid? That would be pretty loud."

He nodded. "Can I change my ring tone from chopping to something else?" he asked.

"Are you going to download P-Ditty?" I asked laughing.

"Yeah, of course," he said with another eye roll. He was getting worse than me. "How about I use my recorder? It's lighter to carry with me than the axe, and I can use different whistles to answer back."

"Genius, that'd be awesome. I could totally have a conversation with you!"

"What are we having now?" he asked.

"Smartass," I teased.

"My heavens, woman, you have such a dirty mouth. You really should watch your language around the baby," he said in a proper snobby voice.

"Right, but junior is sleeping, phone man," I retorted.

"Technically, it's Jake that we'll be using as a phone. I guess phone sex is out of the question," he joked.

I just chuckled at him, "Yup, definitely out."

"Alright, silly girl, it's time for sleep. I've been known to have a grumpy disposition if I don't get a good few hours in," he said settling in.

"Right, because you're just peaches and cream otherwise," I said teasing. He knew he was a cranky git.

"Don't annoy the crazy man, it isn't smart," he said snuggling down into the sheet.

"I thought you said you were sane?" I asked.

"Can you truly name any one person and honestly say they're completely sane, with no doubt in your mind?" he countered.

I thought about it. He was right. Everyone had oddities about them. "So, when did you figure out everyone was crazy?"

He shrugged. "When you can read people's minds, they can't hide it. Now, enough talk, sleep."

"Party pooper," I said sliding back into my place in the bed. "Hey, speaking of poopers."

"Bella, please, tomorrow," he begged.

"Fine," I huffed.

That night, when he started to stir from his nightmare, I sang _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_, thinking of the stars that lit up the meadow. He settled down rather quickly and smiled softly in his sleep. For a crazy man, he was very handsome. Of course, using Jake as our phone would prove rather quickly whether Edward could really read minds or not.

I guess I would find out tomorrow.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 14 – Goated**

**EDWARD**

I couldn't believe I'd told her I could read minds. I wasn't surprised by the way she reacted; it was completely normal for someone to freak out. But then she found me that night, and we talked for a really long time. I think she was really trying to see if I was normal. I did my best to answer all her questions and sound as sane as possible. I avoided any more conversation about my family or my profession and talked mostly about hanging out with Alice. I had yet to tell her where Alice and I would hang out, for fear that she'd freak out again.

Then she woke me up with the idea of using Jacob as a telephone. It really was quite brilliant, as I would be able to prove that I could actually read minds and keep a closer eye on her. She was a little shocked at first when she realized I could watch her when Jacob was in her presence, but she quickly settled down and we came up with a plan to communicate over the distance.

We split up this morning, and I went to work, practicing my shooting and tending to the plants that had started growing. I was amazed at how well the corn was doing. It was growing fast, but I guess that was normal for corn. Little bean sprouts had started up the stalks, just like Alice had predicted.

I was headed to the field I had cleared, when I heard the clang.

I focused on Jacob and saw Bella looking out the door of our hut. I pulled out my whistle and answered her back.

I watched as she turned to Jacob and smiled at him playfully. "Hey, handsome boy, I'm going to talk to you for a while and see if Daddy can hear me," she cooed to him. He smiled and she talked a bit more to him, making him giggle.

"Edward, if you're really listening, I was thinking, if we're going to be here for a while longer, could we maybe see about making a real bathroom?" she said timidly.

I started laughing. Of all the shit she could ask me about, she wanted a shitter. I answered her back on my recorder with a yes. If she really wanted a bathroom of some sort, I didn't see a problem with it.

"I was also thinking that maybe we should take Sam and see if he could help us find the goats. We could really use the milk."

Find the goats? Did she think they would just follow her back? I rubbed my face in frustration. Of course she did, because that was what happened with the chickens and the dog. She didn't understand that wasn't the way it worked with goats.

I knew this trying to communicate through Jake would be a problem. This was not a yes or no question. Great, now she was going to think I was a fraud.

I headed back to the hut, so we could discuss the issue of the goats. I mean sure, I would love something other than boiled water and coconut milk, but that was not happening until the goats saw fit.

I kept an eye on Bella through Jake. I saw her let out a sigh and shake her head.

"I'm nuts, Jake, aren't I? Of course he can't read your mind, what kind of fool am I to actually believe he could do this. I probably just made it worse by feeding his delusion. God, Jacob, what are we going to do? I don't think he's dangerous. I mean, he's good to us. He takes care of us." She slumped down on the bed and pulled her hair back up again. "I guess I'll just do my best to return the favor and take care of him as well. We all need each other, don't we? We need to work together. When and if we ever get back, I'll make sure he's taken care of. He's done too much for us to turn our backs on him." She leaned down and kissed Jacob on the head.

"I wonder what he thought I asked?" she asked him just as I stepped up.

"Well, wanting to go hunt down the goats is not a yes or no question!" I answered her; frustrated that she'd given up on me so quickly. "You can't go after the goats, those fuckers have horns!" I nearly shouted at her.

I realized she was staring at me in shock, but she suddenly smiled widely. Before I realized what was happening, she threw herself into my arms and kissed my cheek, squeezing me tightly.

"Oh, thank god," she said and started laughing and kissed my cheek again.

I peeled her off of me and held her out at arm's length. "What's your problem? Why are you acting so weird?" I asked her.

"It's true! You're not nuts!" she squealed.

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, I told you, I'm not insane."

"I know, and I really wanted you to be sane, but then you didn't answer me back."

"It wasn't a yes or no question. We discussed this. If it isn't a yes or no question, I can't answer the question," I said frustrated.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just thought maybe if we went looking for the goats..."

I cut her off. "The goats are not going to follow us home. They're territorial and will defend their families."

I realized now she was packing up Jake and loading up the duffle bag.

"Well, we'll just have to become part of their family now, wont we," she said and started out the door.

I had never met a woman so frustratingly stubborn. Last thing I wanted to do was get rammed by a ram.

"Hey!" I shouted after her as she hurried off into the jungle. "Where do you think you're going? Alice didn't say anything about getting the goats. She said they'd come to us once the field is ready."

"Well, the field is ready, and I'm tired of waiting."

"They'll come when they're ready."

"Well, I'm ready now, and Jake needs milk, so we're going to go help them be ready. They'd be in the mountains, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, with the mountain lions," I said trying to scare her.

"Good, we're almost out of meat," she stated, as if it was as easy as catching a kitten.

God, that woman was impossible!

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 15 - She Just Gets My Goat**

**EDWARD**

We were walking for quite a while. Well, Bella was walking, and I was following after her to make sure she didn't get herself killed. I swore that woman had thought I was crazy, and yet here she went, tromping off into the unknown without a second thought, ready to catch herself a wild goat.

Who was the crazy one here?

I felt the need to remind her they had fucking HORNS! Huge poke-you–in-the-ass ones that would impale you, but did that stop her? NO! She wanted to be part of their _family, _she did_._

I didn't realize I had been flailing my hands and making faces while thinking that, until she turned around and raised an eyebrow at me. I tried to cover it by pretending I was swatting at a fly, and she giggled at me. I scowled in return. I didn't like being giggled at, especially by someone whose mind I couldn't read.

"Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

We stood silent for a moment, and I heard a humming sound. I wasn't sure what it was.

"Bees!" she finally exclaimed excitedly.

My first instinct was to turn and run from the bees.

HEY, THEY STUNG! Don't be giving me that "you're such a wussy" look!

The fucking forest was alive with humming. It wasn't one bee; it was a fucking swarm!

So what did she do? She walked toward the noise!

It was official. Bella was fucking insane, and she apparently had a death wish. She'd obviously survived the plane crash on accident. She _had_ given me her life preserver after all. Maybe I should've been on the lookout for more suicidal tendencies.

"If you're going to die by bee stings, give me Jake first," I snapped at her, realizing I couldn't stop her from doing anything.

She rolled her eyes at me.

ROLLED HER EYES, people, like I was being the unreasonable one. She handed me Jake and walked off toward the humming.

"KILLER BEES!" I shouted after her. "THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING!"

"Oh, shut up," she growled at me.

Really? Shut up?

I stood quietly waiting. I didn't hear screaming or anything, and I pictured her being choked to death by bee bodies in her mouth so she couldn't scream. I might or might not have watched a few horror movies with killer bees in them.

After a few more minutes of intense freaking out and trying to decide whether or not to go running in after her or not, she walked out of the bushes. She started checking herself over and gently lifted a few bees off of her with her fingertips onto some nearby plants.

What was she, the bee whisperer?

She didn't swat at them or anything, she just waited for the last couple to hop off of her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said in a duh voice.

"They could've been killer bees," I told her.

"Right, because Florida is suddenly Africa."

"What?"

"They're African killer bees, you idiot. These are just honey bees, wild, but still just honey bees. We should be able to smoke them and get some honey. I could make some lemonade with the honey and some lemons, and so many other things. I mean, we don't have sugar, but honey can stand in for it in most things. The hive is huge. It's truly amazing. It actually takes up half of a massive tree. After a good smoking, we should be able to collect some honey and maybe some of the honeycomb wax for candles and stuff, too."

I was looking at her as if she was nuts. There was a massive hive of bees, and she wanted to go into it and disturb it. I wondered if she maybe had some serious brain damage. I knew people who had been put in the nut house for less disturbing actions.

I decided to try and distract her. "I thought we were looking for goats?"

She just shook her head at me. "Now you want to look for goats?"

"Better death by goats than by bees." I figured impaling would kill me off faster than a bee attack; that just looked nasty.

"Okay, fine, we'll play 'OR' if you want," she said. "I agree with you. I'd rather die by goat than bees. What about shark or goat?"

"Easy, shark, you die much faster," I nodded.

"Fine, shark or mountain lion?" she asked, and I was wondering if she was plotting my murder.

"What's the point of this game?" I asked warily.

She shrugged. "We can play 'who would you screw?' if you'd prefer. So, let me think, Queen of England or Laura Bush?"

"Really, are you sick or something? Because both of those are just gross."

She shrugged again. "Well, if I was a guy, and the queen was younger, I'd screw her, so my kid could be royalty. But if we have to go by current state, I'd go with Laura Bush. She's pretty good looking for an older lady."

God help me, this woman truly was insane.

"You can ask me about old guys," she offered.

"You want to fuck old guys?" I asked shocked.

"No, I don't want to _SCREW_ anyone. Language," she said pointing to Jacob. I just shook my head at her and followed after the crazy woman.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked suddenly. I didn't know why, but I suddenly wanted to know. She looked at me confused.

"Why?"

"Why what?" I considered denying that I'd just asked her that question.

"Why do you want to know if I have a boyfriend?"

I shrugged, "Just wondering if you left anyone behind."

She shook her head no.

"You?" she asked.

"No, Alice and I were just friends," I said and she nodded. "You miss anyone?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I didn't see much of anyone, but if I could see someone again, it'd be my dad. Who would you see?"

"My brother, Emmett, I miss him. He just seemed to get me."

"Yeah, you are pretty tough to get. I could see the appeal for you."

"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically.

She just smiled, "Anytime."

I didn't know how much longer we walked, but she stopped and listened again. We both heard the same thing, and I couldn't help but smile. We had found the goats.

I was suddenly really stoked to find them. I figured we'd just catch the big one, and then the rest would follow it, right?

I started into the field, and Bella called out to me. I stopped and turned to see what her deal was, when she shouted, "Watch out!"

I turned back around to see a monster goat with its head down, charging me. I tried to move out of the way, but the fucker adjusted and kept coming at me.

Suddenly, I heard a loud banging behind me.

I went to turn around, but Bella shouted at me to face forward and not look away from the goat. She told me to back away from the goat and come to her. The goat was watching me as I started backing up. He was watching me intently, but he wasn't charging me, thank god. I really didn't want to die by goat after all.

I remembered why I'd thought this was a bad idea.

She pulled me down next to the tree she was sitting under. "Okay, watch the goats, and do what they do." I looked at her as if she was nuts. "Copy them." She pointed to a pair of goats. One was nuzzling the other's ear. Was she serious?

"Come on," she whisper-yelled at me.

So I leaned in hesitantly and nuzzled the side of her head. She smelled pretty good, and this was a little surprising. I mean, I'd never thought she stank, but she smelled nice, all natural and warm.

The goats started rubbing their heads together, and so she leaned over and rubbed heads with me. The goat turned its head and licked its mate's face, so I turned and licked her cheek. She tasted really good. I mean, salty and sweet, and I considered licking her again, but I didn't. She was looking at me as if I was crazy. This was her game. Her crazy goat game! Her and her crazy goat game!

Apparently, I'd taken it too far, because she turned and looked at me stunned. "What? I just did what the goat was doing." I turned back to see what the goats were doing now, and they were humping with abandon.

"We're not doing that," she said firmly, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her.

"Fine, your loss, but I can see why you wouldn't want to do that with the goats watching," I said very seriously.

She just looked at me as if I was the one who was nuts now. Great, I'd gotten her to think I was sane for a few hours, and now she thought I was crazy, because I licked her face while playing her goat game. It was her fucking idea!

"So, what's the plan, genius?" I asked.

She looked at me annoyed and pulled some stuff out of her duffle bag. It was chunks of fruit and food. She tossed it toward the big guy, and he did a little head dip and foot stomp thing. He made his way over and picked up the food.

"He's curious," she informed me.

She started leaving a trail of different foods and backed away. Apparently, you didn't turn your back on a goat, ever. That would've been nice to know, _before_ we went looking for the damn things!

To my amazement, the goats started following her. I didn't even know why the hell I'd come along, because she could've handled this all on her own.

We got just outside of the alfalfa field, and she tossed the last of the food into the middle of it and walked away. That was it, plain and simple. Now we had goats. What we were going to do with them, I had no fucking clue, because they scared the living shit out of me.

Damn goats.

Damn crazy, brilliant woman!

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master.**

**Chapter 16 – Moving**

**EDWARD**

I was having this "way too good" dream, and that was what made me realize it was a dream. There was a tingle and a chill down my back, my whole body was a live wire suddenly, and that was when I felt it. Bella was usually so good about not touching me while we slept, but I could swear that she was.

I opened my eyes, and I realized I was being touched, but just barely, and that was what was causing my body to react.

Bella's nose was in the nape of my neck, and her breath was sending chills down my spine. The tops of her thighs were barely brushing my butt. When I moved, that was when I felt them, her breasts. She didn't wear a bra to bed, something about it being uncomfortable, and so her unrestrained friends were just barely brushing against my back. She was touching me, but not purposefully. I told myself to settle down and get the hell out of there, before I made a fool of myself.

**BELLA**

Mmm, Edward…

I was having the most amazing dream of Edward kissing me, and he smelled so damn good. Ever since I'd nuzzled him during our goat expedition, I had been trying to sniff him without him knowing. I'd assumed that he would have stunk. It wasn't as if we had deodorant or shower gel here. I was sure I stank, but he'd been polite and never said a word about my stench.

Of course, I guessed part of being amazingly handsome was not stinking when you were a sweaty mess. I wanted to taste him, just to see if I was imagining the way he smelled. It was only fair after all. He'd licked me. I should have been able to lick him back. I just couldn't think of a rational reason to lick him. I suddenly wondered why people didn't go around licking each other, because damn, I really wished they would, so I could have a good reason to lick Edward.

As usual, Edward wasn't in bed when I woke up. Jake was growing fast and starting to take up more of the bed. We were going to have to figure out a new bed for him soon. All three of us wouldn't fit on this bed for much longer.

I got up and started making breakfast. I had to think of something else to make besides eggs one of these days. I was hoping to go back to the far side of the island again and explore a little more. I'd seen a field in the distance that looked very much like some sort of grain, and I knew I would love to be able to make something using flour. I really didn't care what kind of flour, just flour of any kind.

I also thought I'd seen some different trees in the distance as well. When I'd suggested to Edward that we go back, he was against going into the field, certain that it was where the other mountain lions were hiding. Apparently, tall grass the same color as their fur was their favorite place to hide.

I had to find a way to get him to go back to that field of grain, because I knew we weren't getting a balanced diet. I had come to this conclusion when I noticed my periods were getting more spread out. We had been here for nearly three months, and I had just had my second one. I knew when your diet was off or your health wasn't good, you could become irregular. I thought of talking to Edward about this, because he was a doctor, but decided against it. I was sure he could probably figure it out on his own.

I decided that once I got back to civilization, I'd never eat another food that didn't include some kind of carb. Okay, maybe I would, but there'd be tons of carbs that were not plantains. Turned out the bananas we had were so nasty tasting raw, not because they weren't ripe yet, but because they were plantains, which were apparently more like potatoes than bananas, so yeah, I was basically eating raw potatoes, but not complaining about it, because it wasn't like anyone could do anything about it. I didn't know if I would even want to eat a real banana anymore. I guess when I got home, I'd have to try one.

I let out a sigh.

Home.

I didn't really miss any one thing, other than normal food, a toilet and a real shower, which made me realize my life kind of sucked. I had been so unfocused, even in my schooling. I'd had no interest in making friends or even talking to people. I hadn't even bothered to pick a major, because I hadn't really known what I wanted to do with my life. I figured it would eventually come to me. Wasn't that how it was supposed to work? You woke up one day and thought, "I want to make my mark on the world by..." Yeah, I'd never gotten past that part. I'd just taken a few classes, because that was what was expected of me by my parents. I was supposed to go to college, so I had.

I mean, it was insane. I had been getting ready to start my third year before the plane crash, and I was still undeclared. I was pretty sure that was unheard of. It was the main reason I did my best to avoid the topic of my life with Edward. I think he'd find me utterly boring and disappointing.

I just hoped I'd get to lick his cheek before we got rescued, because I knew once we got back to our regular lives, he wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. God, I needed to get a life. I really should've grown up by now.

I finished up breakfast and set some aside for Edward and Jake. I pulled out my letter from Alice, so I'd have something to read while I was eating. It wasn't as if I could read the cereal box or something.

Who would've thought I would miss cold cereal?

I wasn't far into the letter, when Alice started talking of a storm, a really big one. Basically, it would hit in two days, and we needed to move all of our things out of the hut, because it would be completely destroyed.

The problem was she didn't say where we were supposed to move our stuff to, at least not in my letter.

I started to panic. My house was going to be destroyed in just two days. This stupid little hut that I had come to love would no longer be able to provide us with shelter.

"Bella, are you hurt? Why are you crying?" Edward's voice asked. I looked up at him in shock and held out my letter to him.

He shook his head no and went to get his letter quickly. He read silently, and I could see when the realization hit that we would lose our house. His face screwed up tightly, and he let out a huff. "I guess we'd better get to work. We can stay in the cave the mountain lions were in when I caught them. I'm sure with their scent all over it, it's still not occupied," he spoke as he started putting things into his trunk.

The commotion woke up Jake, and I quickly fed him breakfast and made Edward sit down and eat as well. I could tell he was upset that all his hard work was proving to be for nothing. We'd have to rebuild. I just hoped our plants and the chickens survived.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master.**

**Chapter 17 – Emmett**

**BELLA**

I was not afraid of storms, or rain for that matter. I'd lived a large portion of my life in Washington State, which was a very rainy place, but this wasn't normal rain. It was only after Edward had pulled us farther back into the black cave and set the large trunks in front of us, that I realized this was serious. The first few minutes of the storm had been really bad. The wind was so violent we had to move into a back side pocket of the dank, dark cave.

It amazed me how much wind was making it into the cave and how wildly it whipped the dirt and debris around. I was glad that I'd decided to collect the chickens and bring them into the cave with us. They weren't pleased about getting tucked into a sheet with the sides sewn up, but I was sure they were happy to stay with me now that the storm had started.

I watched as a few trees were ripped right out of the ground and thrown past the cave entrance. Several branches and other debris were thrown into the entrance, blocking our way out. It didn't seem to bother Edward. He almost seemed pleased with it, because it blocked smaller pieces of debris from flying in and hitting us. As it was, we were ducked down behind the trunks waiting things out.

**EMMETT**

My brother had been dead for three months now, almost four. It was hard to believe he was gone, but when my quarterly portfolio came in, I couldn't help but think of him. He had called me not long after had he taken the fall for me. Neither of us was guilty, and I couldn't believe the shitty luck we'd had, when we'd gotten the judge we had.

It wasn't long after they'd taken him away that he'd called me and told me to take his last fifty dollars and invest it in some weird little company whose penny stock was worth more as toilet paper than an investment commodity. He told me I should do the same. At first, I'd thought he was insane to listen to the ramblings of a crazy person, thinking they could predict the stock market, but I'd done as he asked and threw in fifty dollars of my own just for good measure.

It was only a week later when that stock went crazy and ended up splitting three times, making us a ton of dough. I called him and told him what had happened, and after that, he kept me up on tips from his "reliable source." Of course, those tips hadn't been coming in for the past three months, and even though I wasn't hurting for money, it wasn't growing the way it used to.

I tried to remember the name of the friend he had made and decided to visit with her. I pulled up to the place I despised and did my best to think of a way to ask to see Edward's friend.

When I walked through the door, a little dark-haired girl jumped up smiling. "Told you I had a visitor coming," she said as she danced over to me and wrapped her arm around mine. The front attendant looked at me suspiciously. "Do you know Ms. Brandon?" she asked.

"Of course he does!" the little girl answered. "This is Emmett Cullen, Edward's brother."

Well, she seemed to know who I was, so I went with it. She led me over to the sign-in desk, and now that I had a name, I was able to write down with whom I was visiting. I showed my ID, and the receptionist seemed to grimace. "Fine, you may go in," she said with a snotty flourish, and the little Brandon girl giggled again excitedly as she pulled me along to what I guessed was her room. She hopped on her little bed and motioned for me to sit at her desk.

"So, um, how did you know who I was?" I asked testing to see how really crazy this chick was.

She rolled her eyes and tapped the side of her head. "I saw you coming, took you long enough."

I cleared my throat nervously. I didn't think she could hurt me. She was pretty tiny. "So, you knew Edward?" I asked.

"I know Edward," she clarified, and I felt bad that she didn't seem to know that he had passed away. I would've thought she would've seen something like that, if she was really psychic.

"He's still alive, Emmett. He, a young woman and a baby made it out of the plane and onto what native tribes in the area consider a cursed island that is too far from the wreckage to gain the rescuer's attention. The're doing alright for themselves. A major storm is hitting them today, though," she pouted and shook her head. "They should be okay, but it'll be more difficult to track them once we get to the island."

"What?"

"You do plan on rescuing your brother, don't you?" she said in a duh voice.

"I…um…Ms. Brandon…"

"Alice," she said cutting me off. "Look, I know it's a lot to take in, but you need to get a map of the path the current hurricane is taking. That's where we need to start looking for them. I know they're in its path. I see it hitting the island, but I can't see exactly where the island is until we start looking. You have to make the decision to help me find your brother, before I can see it."

I looked at her dumbfounded for a minute.

"So, decide to believe me and help me find Edward already. I'm waiting," she said impatiently, sounding a little annoyed.

I guessed it wouldn't hurt to look up a storm track for her. I mean, what was the big deal?

She closed her eyes. "Excellent." She was quiet for a moment. "Okay, they're stuck on an island where the storm stalled. You'll be able to find it. Of course, no one else will go out there to look for them."

"They will if I ask them to," I insisted. I couldn't believe I was considering going on this wild goose chase.

She shook her head no. "The island is in the Bermuda Triangle, no one goes there, at least not on purpose. This is going to be harder than I thought." She got up and started pacing. "I knew it would take a while to save them, but I was really hoping with your help that we could do it sooner," she said with a huff and flopped down on the bed. "Maybe if we involve Rosalie," she said and then was quiet for a moment. She looked up at me and grinned, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Who's Rosalie?" I asked confused.

"She's my sister, or stepsister, actually. Anyway, she isn't half bad, and you'll like her," she said with a smile and muttered, "A lot," under her breath.

"So, this Rosalie is going to help us find Edward sooner?" I asked.

She pouted and shook her head no. "Everything hinges on the ship captain, and he doesn't get drunk and go crazy until February, unfortunately."

"You want to hire a crazy drunk ship captain?" I knew she was nuts for sure.

She shrugged. "He's the only one who says yes, because he has a bit of a death wish. He gets us to the island safely, though."

"What about going home?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Don't know, it hasn't been decided yet."

"Look, Alice, I don't know what you're playing at, but..."

She cut me off when she jumped up and handed me a little piece of paper. "Just call Rose. She can explain things better than me." At that, she just turned and walked out, leaving me looking down at the paper in my hand.

I let out a sigh. Really, what did I have to lose? I might as well call her. Alice seemed normal, mostly, except for the freaky fortunetelling crystal ball shit. You definitely didn't see that every day outside the loony bin.

But if there was a chance of finding my brother alive, then I had to try.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover.**

**Chapter 18 - Caving in**

**BELLA**

Sam finally stopped barking at the storm, and Jacob finally settled down. He had been fussing, but once Edward unwrapped his arms from the sheet I had him in to protect him from the flying debris, he settled down. He kept his little hand on my face, and I snuggled him to me, so he'd know he wasn't alone. The chickens were surprisingly quiet, and I was worried that they were hurt.

The storm had been raging for hours, but we couldn't tell what time it was, because the whole sky had blackened with thick clouds once the storm started. It felt like night, but we knew the storm had started this morning. It was still daytime, even if it was dark outside and pitch black in the cave. I would definitely be soaking in the sun and the light tomorrow when the storm was over.

I just had to focus on that point. That the storm wouldn't last forever, and it'd be over tomorrow. I hoped the goats were okay. I was glad Edward hadn't fought me on bringing the chickens with us, and Sam just followed us, because we were his pack.

The crash of thunder and lightning was loud and echoed through the cave. A few hours ago, the storm started causing the walls of the cave to tremble and rocks to fall. Edward threw himself over the baby and me, trying to protect us from them. I was worried the roof would cave in and trap us inside. Being buried alive was not the way I wanted to go.

Edward tightened his grip on me and moved his face next to mine. The whole cave started to vibrate under the force of the storm. More rocks started falling, and I just knew we were going to die. I decided if I was going to go, I was going to at least get in my final wish and lick that man's face.

I turned my head and licked up his neck to behind his ear. To my surprise, he didn't pull away, but pulled me closer, shifting me so I could look at his face. "What was that for?" he asked, but I almost didn't catch it over the roar of the storm.

"It was only fair. Why should you be the only one who gets to lick people?"

He smiled and leaned into me slowly. "I get to lick people?" he said softly right into my ear and then looked deeply into my eyes. I was mesmerized by his beautiful green eyes, barely visible in the dark thanks to the lightning flashes. I took in a calming breath and nodded my head yes.

He smiled and brought his face closer. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me, but then I felt it. His tongue lightly licked across my lips. My whole body was on fire, and I wondered how I wasn't lighting up the whole cave myself.

I moaned and opened my mouth, leaning into him silently, begging for more, and he complied, finally taking my bottom lip into his mouth, and then he started to kiss me, pushing his tongue into my mouth. I twisted around and wound my hand up into his hair, pulling him closer to me, encouraging him to keep kissing me. I didn't want him to stop.

**EDWARD**

Alice had said we would make it through the storm, if we hid out in the cave. We started out closer to the front, but quickly found ourselves having to move back. I wasn't comfortable taking Bella and Jake too deep into the cave. The last thing I wanted to do was disturb rabid bats or get lost in there. There was a little side cove that was just large enough to fit the chickens, the dog and us in. I barricaded the opening with the trunks, blocking out most of the flying shit.

That storm was insane. Alice didn't say it would be a hurricane, but when I saw trees start flying past the entrance, I knew that was what it was. Regular rainstorms didn't pick up and hurl trees like that. Several branches were launched into the entrance of the cave, blocking a lot of the outside shit from coming in, and I was glad I had brought my hatchet and saw with me. I wasn't worried about getting through them to get out.

I wasn't worried, that is, until the whole fucking cave started to shake. That had to be one hell of a storm if it could shake a damn mountain. Small rocks and shit started to rain down on us, so I covered Bella and Jake to protect them in case anything larger should fall.

At least that was what I was going to tell her. I honestly just wanted to hold her in my arms. I didn't know if it would be to comfort me or her, but I wanted to hold her. I had been thinking about it a lot ever since I'd nuzzled and licked her, but I could never think of a reasonable excuse to touch her without her questioning my motives. I knew I was a bastard for taking advantage of the moment, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she pushed closer to me. She wanted me to hold her.

I was glad it was dark, so she couldn't see the smile on my face. I was sure I looked creepy.

Then she licked me. And not a small lick, either. She started at the apple of my throat and went all the way up to the hollow of my ear. I clenched my teeth to contain the moan and hoped she didn't feel the monster growing in my pants.

I finally pulled myself together to ask her about it. She basically gave me free reign to lick her again, and by god I did it and made it good.

I moved slowly to see if she would protest, but she didn't. Her reaction to my licking her lips resulted in me kissing her, and fuck it was hot. Her hand was in my hair, and I pulled her into my lap more, wanting to grind into her, but felt a yank on my beard.

At first, I thought it was Bella, wanting me to stop, but I realized she hadn't even noticed it.

There was another yank and a giggle, and I realized it was Jake. When he giggled, Bella instantly pulled back and moved away from me. I understood why she'd done it, but I still wished she hadn't. I sat back, and Sam moved next to me, so I could lean on him like I usually did in the evening outside the hut.

I frowned. The hut would be gone. We would have to rebuild. As we were packing up, Bella had mentioned the bed getting too small for all three of us. I looked up at her through the darkness and could make out her form as she bounced Jacob.

"When we rebuild, should I give him his own room or...?" I was curious to see if she wanted to be alone with me. I wanted to be alone with her.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Um, I think that'd be a good idea."

I smiled widely, I was so giddy. I was once again happy it was so dark, so she couldn't see how excited I was. I knew she was inexperienced, and we'd have to take things slow, if we did anything at all, but it was nice to get some kind of confirmation that she was interested in at least being alone with me.

I really wanted to be alone with her, too.

I was suddenly very excited about this whole rebuilding idea.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta queen!**

**Chapter 19 - Caveman Experience**

**BELLA**

The storm finally started to clear. There was only a light sprinkling of rain, and some lightning in the distance was flashing in the dark. I didn't know what time it was, but I was pretty sure it was nighttime. I made sure Edward and Jake had some water, before I suggested that we just sleep here tonight. We were all sitting on the bed already, and so I snuggled Jake down by my side.

I heard Edward moving the pot. "The water's almost gone. Did you get enough?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. I was thirsty, but he needed to be well hydrated to be able to get us out of the cave in the morning. I knew sawing through those branches would be a lot of work.

He let out a sigh and lay down closer to me than usual. I wondered if I was in the wrong part of the bed, it was hard to tell in the dark. I felt him squirm a little closer. "Do you have enough bed?" I asked.

"Ah, yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up," he said sheepishly.

"No, it's just, you usually don't like me near you, so I just wanted to be sure you were comfortable. I know you have a lot of hard work to do tomorrow clearing the cave entrance. I wanted to make sure you're alright. I don't want to be in your way," I said slightly embarrassed by my rambling.

**EDWARD**

Bella was too sweet. I suspected she didn't drink any water, but I couldn't call her out on it, because I didn't know for sure. I really wished I could read her mind and make sure she was truly okay.

She suggested we sleep here, and I decided not to fight her on it because I was tired, and the cave felt nice and cool. I guess a cave was the closest you could get to air conditioning on a deserted tropical island.

She lay down on the far side of the little stuffed mat we called a bed. I watched as she perched herself as far from me as possible in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. I watched her wiggle, snuggling into the baby as he settled in for the night. I felt guilty, because I knew she was doing it for me. I wanted to let her know it was okay. I didn't mind if she bumped into me. Not anymore at least.

I thought I would actually like it if she did.

I moved a little closer to her, thinking of ways I could casually brush against her on "accident," when she asked if I had enough bed. I guess I wasn't as slick as I'd thought I was. What she said next made me feel like crap. She had been sleeping on our already crappy bed in uncomfortable positions for months, so I'd be comfortable. She'd put herself out for me, and I hadn't been that nice to her. She was a fucking saint. I had to fix this.

"It's okay, Bella, you're…" How could I word it and not sound like a creep? "I, um…what I mean to say is..."

She rolled closer to me, and I realized she'd left Jake on the far side of the bed sleeping. Her face was right next to mine, and I wanted to kiss her so bad.

"Shhh," she said softly, "Whisper, the baby's out."

I swallowed hard, trying to make out her eyes in the darkness. I wished I could see her expression better, but I was kind of glad it was dark, as it was hiding my body's reaction to her proximity. I cleared my throat as quietly as possible, trying to regain my composure.

"I don't mind you next to me," I whispered.

"Thanks, Edward. I don't mind you, either," she giggled and lay down next to me. Our arms were touching, and it made me smile when she made no move to wiggle away from me.

I settled down next to her, not moving my arm away from hers and listened to her breathing. I could tell when she fell asleep. I leaned over her and took in the scent of her hair. It was just her, no particular scent I could name, but it was distinctly Bella. I didn't know what it was that made her smell so good to me, she just did.

Her scent relaxed me, and I was sleeping in no time, having a pleasant dream filled with Bella.

**BELLA**

I fell asleep, feeling the warmth of Edward's arm next to mine. I touched him like that so it would seem like an accident, but I wanted to test it out. I needed to see if he was really okay with me touching him. I kind of giggled to myself as I thought of Edward's words. I knew I was "not so bad" before, and now he "didn't mind me." Mister Smooth, he was not, but he was still very sweet; awkward, but sweet. I was glad it was dark, so he didn't see the giddy expression on my face. It took me forever to fall asleep, because my insides were doing little flips of excitement.

We were touching, and he didn't mind it. I was worried he was just saying it to be nice, but I knew he really didn't mind it, when I woke up the next morning.

Edward was wrapped around me, with his face buried in my hair. My smile would have given The Joker a run for his money. Edward really didn't mind touching me at all, and that was evident, as he seemed to be touching me with every inch of his body he could, including several inches in the lower region pressed against my butt. Yup, definitely _several_ inches there.

I worried he'd freak out on me when he woke up. I wondered if I should pry myself away from him, but then realized I just couldn't make myself do it. I decided to enjoy the time I had with him and nuzzled back into him more, pressing my nose into the crook of his elbow that was under my head. I hadn't slept with a pillow in a long time, and his arm was nice. And let's not forget, he smelled so damn good. How could a man smell like that without soap? I wondered if they made soap scents that were based on good-smelling men like Edward. If they didn't, they should have, because damn! Before I even realized it, I was licking and kissing his arm, tasting his skin.

When I felt him pull me back against him, I was worried he'd be upset that I'd woken him, but he just ground his erection into me, and I moaned a little and pressed back harder, so he'd do it again. He groaned in response, and I turned over to see his face in the dim morning light. I pressed my leg between his, rubbing against his erection again. He tightened his grip on me and moved his head down to my neck and inhaled deeply.

My body felt hot all over, but not sweaty hot, just like there was a fire burning under my skin. His hand slipped up under the back of my shirt, and I moaned softly, feeling his rough fingers against my skin. I was dying to get closer to him and pressed myself further against him, inadvertently rubbing against his huge erection. Holy cow, was that thing really real? I could feel all of it now, from top to bottom. Jesus, I'd heard size was important, and I didn't know what average was, but I had a feeling he was not average.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I reached down and palmed him, trying to truly get a feel of where he started and ended.

**EDWARD**

Holy fuck, I was having the best dream. Bella and I were making out, and she was rubbing up against me. Then something changed, I didn't know what exactly, and I started to wake up. For a minute, I thought I was still dreaming, because little Bella had her hand on my cock and was rubbing it up and down through my pants.

Fuck, that was hot. Not only did she not freak that I had a boner, but she was rubbing it. I should've been a gentleman and stopped her. I knew it was very inappropriate, and our relationship was still kind of unknown, but I just couldn't do it.

I couldn't stop her hand. It felt too damn good. I realized then that my hand was up her shirt. I looked down at her eyes to see if she was okay with what was going on, and I saw her looking down at her hand, like she was really concentrating on something. She was moving it so slowly, but I wanted her to move it faster. The urge to buck was too much, and I pushed against her hand.

She looked up at me surprised and pulled her hand away. "Sorry," she said softly.

I couldn't think straight at that moment, I just wanted her to know that she never had to be sorry for touching me, especially like that.

I pinned her under me, and she looked up at me with worried eyes…that was until I ground into her heat and fuck, she closed her eyes and moaned. She liked it, and it felt fucking awesome, so I did it again and again, as I buried my hands in her hair and kissed her bare skin wherever I could find it. She tasted so damn good. One of these days, I would really taste her as she screamed my name, but we had to get a separate room first. I could tell she was trying to be quiet as she bit my shoulder. She moaned my name as she placed small kisses where she'd bitten me. God, that was so fucking good.

I'd finally had enough of her skin. I needed her mouth. I started kissing her hard and excited, pressing into her more. She bucked against me, egging me on, until her body stiffened under me. I knew she was close and ground against her more.

"Oh, God!" she cried out as she came. Watching the blush spread down her body as she panted was enough to make me come myself. I jerked against her stiffly and involuntarily as I buried my face in her hair. I collapsed on her, trying to catch my breath, and kissed her neck softly. She was enjoying it, until we heard clapping.

Bella quickly shoved me off of her and scooted away.

"Shit…shit…shit," she hissed freaking out and scrambled out of our alcove.

Fuck, this was not good.

**A/N: A performance worthy of applause? Review and let me know. Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen!**

**Chapter 20 – Panicked**

**EDWARD**

Jake applauding our performance just cemented it for me. We really needed to have a separate bedroom. Bella had taken off, totally freaked out, and I realized the chickens had followed after her. I hoped she could talk it out with her "friends" as she called them.

Her reaction wasn't the one I'd been hoping for. I was also not looking forward to working my ass off to open the cave entrance, while covered in my sticky mess.

Yeah, that really sucked.

I told Sam to stay with Jake and got to work, so I could get to the waterfall and clean up as soon as possible. I really should've thought my actions through a little better. I usually wasn't so stupid as to think with my dick instead of my head like I had. Fuck, that was messed up. I hoped Bella wasn't pissed when she came back.

**BELLA**

Oh, my god. I was the worst mother EVER! Okay, I might not have been his actual mother, but for all intents and purposes at this point, I was his mom, and I'd just gotten off in front of him. That was just wrong on so many levels!

How could I have been so distracted by Edward that I didn't notice Jacob had woken up?

I was going to Hell. There was a special place in Hell for people like me, who got off in front of their kids and didn't even notice it, until they were clapping!

In my defense, I didn't really know what was about to happen to me until it was too late. I had never had an orgasm before. I'd been sure that was just something women bitched about not having, because they were myths. At least I thought that was what had happened.

I wasn't sure if what I'd felt was or wasn't an orgasm. Could you have one with your clothes on?

I considered asking Edward, but decided against it. It seemed nice, but it might not have been one. Right now, I was cursing my inexperience.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the chickens clucking and hopping around. They seemed to have found their breakfast and were chasing some bugs around. I was surprised by how light the cave was this far back. I looked toward the front of the cave and saw Edward getting to work on the tree branches in the entrance. I sat down on a rock and watched as he worked. He was very handsome. He'd put on a whole lot of muscle since we'd lived here. I could tell, because the sleeves and chest of his shirt had become way too tight, and he very seldom wore it anymore because it was uncomfortable.

The chickens started hopping around more, and I looked up to see them taking off further down the cave.

"Here, chick-chick," I called to them, but they saw that I had moved toward them and continued on their path. The last thing I wanted to happen was to get lost in the cave chasing the chickens. The damn chickens didn't listen when I called them, "Chick-chick-chick!"

I looked back the way I'd come, to make sure I didn't get lost. I realized Edward and the entrance were out of site, and I didn't understand why there was still light in this part of the cave. I moved forward toward the chickens and the new light source, when the cavern opened up wide into a large room. There was one hole in the ceiling that was letting the light in. It looked like the storm had ripped out a tree or something, causing the gap to weaken and cave in. There was a pile of mud and debris on the ground, but the rest of the room seemed untouched. There were a few side rooms, and I wondered if there was something living in them.

"Edward!" I called to him. I wanted him to see this. "Edward, come look at what I found!"

He came hurrying after me and stopped short, stunned when he stepped into the large open room. He looked up at the hole and then walked over to it, looking up. "We should mark that out there, so we don't fall through it."

"Edward, look at this place," I said trying to show him the potential. He looked at me confused. "We could live here," I pushed.

"In here?" he asked as if I was nuts. He pointed to the ceiling. "In here under that?" he pointed to the hole. "Bella, this place could cave in on us, not to mention the questionable lighting."

I rolled my eyes. "Ventilation," I said pointing to the hole in the roof. "Private rooms," I said pointing to the side coves of the main cavern.

"Bats with rabies, wild animals looking for a place to live," he snapped. One of the chickens went running past us with a rather large bug about the size of its head, and the other chickens ran after it, trying to steal it. "MONSTER BUGS!" he said pointing. "We don't want to live in here," he huffed and headed back to the front of the cave. The chickens continued to feast on the bugs in the cave.

"Bugs, he says," I gripped to the chickens. "It's not like you guys won't eat them all. You guys are the best pest control ever. Bats, he says, we've been in this cave for over twenty-four hours, and I haven't seen one damn bat. I don't know what his problem is."

"Bella!" he shouted sounding frantic.

I hurried after him and saw him looking around panicked.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Jake and Sam, they're gone!"

"What?" He must have been insane. I hurried over to the cove we'd spent the night in, and they were gone. I looked back the way I'd come, and I knew they weren't there.

"Damn it, Edward!"

"Just shut up! I think I hear something," he snapped.

We were quiet for a moment, and then we could hear Sam barking in the distance. We hurried after the sound, going deeper into the cave, silently hoping to hear if we were getting any closer. What we did hear was unsettling.

It was water.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 21 – Menagerie**

**BELLA**

"What do you mean, he's gone? What the hell did you do with him?"

"I didn't do anything! I just...I just can't tell where he is. I can see he's still in the cave. I just don't know where the hell in the cave he is."

We hurried towards the sound of Sam barking. Edward could see he was with Sam somewhere in the cave, but that was it. They were heading toward water. Edward said the sound of water was getting louder, and Jake was curious as to what it was.

For once, I wished Jake was afraid of the dark. The cave was dark where he was, but light enough to see to walk.

"OH, SHIT!" Edward yelled suddenly and started running, and I freaked out, panicking and fighting back tears, terrified our baby wouldn't make it out of this damn cave alive.

We burst into a narrow cavern, just in time to grab Jake from out of harm's way. Edward grabbed the baby, who was hanging over the water by his diaper, of which Sam had a juicy mouthful. A morning diaper that needed to be changed no less. Edward grabbed Jake, and I saw the way Sam was flopping his tongue, not pleased with the taste. I hugged him, crying and petting him, thanking him for saving our baby, because that was what Jake was. He was our baby.

Edward joined me and hugged Sam as well, and we were all in a group hug with a giggling Jake, who had no idea how much danger he really had been in, crazy little boy. If we moved into this cave, we'd have to fashion some sort of baby gate and keep Sam on guard duty. I didn't know what we would've done without that dog.

**EDWARD**

I had never been so thankful in my life to find Sam with a mouthful of soiled baby diaper. That dog would be getting something good to eat tonight. I wasn't sure what it would be yet, because I had yet to catch it, but I would get it soon.

Bella held onto Jake for the rest of the time we were in the cave. That little boy was too brave for his own good.

I finally pulled the last chunk of tree branch out of the cave entrance, giving us enough room to escape, and I was shocked by what I found.

There were dead bats, thousands of them. Apparently, they had gone out for their night flight, but didn't make it back before the storm hit and blocked the cave entrance.

"Well, that solves the bat problem," Bella said with a disgusted sneer on her face. It was almost comical the way she hopped through the mess, doing her best not to step on any of the dead rodents.

Sam was going to eat them, but I stopped him. I didn't want him to contract rabies. I quickly grabbed a branch and started sweeping them out of the way. As soon as I found some semi-dry wood, I'd start a fire and burn the carcasses. I didn't want to have rotting dead animals stinking up the island and becoming an attractive nuisance for pest and predators.

The damage done to the island was devastating. Most of the trees had been damaged in some way or another. Much of the plant life had been blown and twisted in such a way that it was damaged to the point it was questionable if any of it would survive.

I decided to check our water source and walked up the creek and past the falls to make sure there weren't any rotting carcasses in it, contaminating the water. In medical school, we'd covered the dangers of bacteria.

Medical school…

I looked back at Bella. I knew at some point that I would have to tell her the truth about everything.

**BELLA**

Edward started hiking around the island. He decided he wanted to collect all the carcasses and burn them, to prevent the rotting flesh from causing illness. I definitely understood the need to burn the bats. He was sure that some of them carried rabies naturally, and we didn't want that for sure.

I was amazed at how torn up everything was. The storm had blown in a lot of crap from the ocean as well. There were dead and dying fish lining the shore, and our hut had been mostly knocked down and scattered. The trees supporting the main walls had been knocked over. Thankfully, the corn stalks had only been blown over a bit and were still intact. The beans had twined around them nicely, keeping them from being ripped out of the ground. Edward thought we would be able to save them, if we used the rope to prop them all back upright. With the both of us working, we made quick work of the garden, standing up our corn and reinforcing any that needed more dirt pulled up to the roots.

There were pieces of scrap metal of varying sizes that had washed ashore, and Edward seemed to be intrigued by them. He pulled them aside, and I could see the cogs turning in his mind, but he didn't share his thoughts. We needed to take care of immediate needs, but I was determined to go beachcombing as soon as I could, to see what other treasures and useful items might have washed up around the rest of the island.

As we were walking, I heard something scurry into the bushes. Most the time I would ignore the sound, but I was curious to see what could've faired the storm.

I found a beautiful parrot. At least that was what I thought it was. It was a brightly-colored bird that looked like a parrot, and its wing was out and twisted funny. The poor thing was hurt.

I asked Edward to take Jacob and told him about the bird. He told me to be careful, because a parrot had the strength to bite my fingers off if so inclined. I decided to take off my shirt and use it to catch the poor thing and take it back to the cave, where the chickens were still feasting on bugs.

I was surprised when Edward didn't complain or say a word when I told him my plan to help the bird. He just nodded and told me to set its wing and then tie it to its body.

The poor bird was in a panic when I caught it, and Sam seemed a little too interested as he followed me back to the cave. I shooed him off, and he went and lay down, watching the chickens jump around excitedly chasing bugs.

I didn't uncover the head of the bird, just its wings and body. I did as Edward had said and carefully folded the wing back against its body, strapping it in place with an ace bandage. I figured it was reusable, so it didn't matter if I used it on the bird.

When I was done, I carefully took it over by the chickens, so it would see that I had other animal friends, and I wasn't going to hurt it.

It looked to me and then to the chickens curiously as I sat back and watched it hop around, flapping its one good wing.

"Sorry, buddy, but you can't fly for a while. You can hang out with us until you're better, though."

It walked in a funny waddle over toward the chickens. They were focused on the bugs, so they didn't notice the parrot at first. The parrot picked at a couple of bugs, still watching me, and I chuckled to myself.

Then all hell broke loose. One of the chickens finally noticed the newcomer, and they all started clucking as if it was the end of the world. They fluffed their feathers and started making a show of themselves, trying to set pecking order. I'd swear the parrot rolled its eyes!

One of the chickens came forward to challenge the parrot. The parrot nipped at its toe, and I was worried that it would bite it off. I realized that might not have been a good idea.

The chicken ran squawking back to the others and made a show of hopping around on one foot. The parrot waddled over and then stood upright, as if it was challenging the chickens to try something. It really was almost comical the way the hens all scattered.

I grabbed a piece of fruit and offered some to the parrot. It eyed it for a minute and watched as I ate some of it myself, before it finally took it from me. "See, it won't be so bad here. I'll look out for you, and I'm sure the girls will warm up to you soon. You're very pretty," I said speaking in a kind, soothing tone.

I noticed the hens coming back, and I walked over to the hen with the nipped toe. I had yet to tell Edward, but I had named them all. This was Lauren, poor girl. She was the head of the little hens. Jessica was next in line, and Tiffany and Jennifer were the last in the pecking order. I named the rooster Wild Bill Hick Cock because it just seemed fitting.

Lauren let me pick her up and check her toe. I noticed the parrot watching me carefully, as I comforted the frazzled Lauren. It was obvious that she was making a show of things and being overdramatic about the whole toe thing. I washed it off, giving her a clean bill of health, and held back my giggle as she hobbled back to the other girls.

I was surprised when the parrot walked over to the group of them and started pecking at the bugs. I could see Lauren and Jessica back up nervously, but Tiffany and Jennifer walked over, ruffled their feathers and settled down next to the parrot. The parrot looked at them curiously for a moment and then did the same. I guess it would be fine after all.

Edward came back with Jacob for lunch. Both were wet, and he told me that they'd had a shower in the falls. I laughed a little at Jacob's sour face. He did not like getting in the water to bathe. I was glad Edward took turns with me on cleaning him up.

"I see Polly has settled herself in with the girls," Edward said pointing to the parrot.

"Polly?"

"Yeah," he said in a duh voice. "What else are you going to call a parrot?"

"Of course," I said as I passed him his lunch. "What was I thinking?"

He shrugged teasingly. "I don't know, but I really wish I did."

"Any sign of the goats?" I asked, worried I hadn't seen or heard anything from them since the storm passed. I really hoped they were okay. I would've brought them into the cave, but they didn't trust us enough to follow us yet.

"No, I'm going to go out again after lunch to look for them."

Edward hadn't been gone long when I heard him shouting, "Holy shit! You fucking little bastard! Get the fuck off me, you stupid little shit!"

I ran out to find him with a small brown fury creature on his head, but he was jumping around too much for me to make out what the hell it was. "Edward, what is that?" I shouted over his cursing. When it heard me, it ran off up into a nearby tree.

"I don't fucking know. The little freak went fucking psycho when I went to move the body," he said pointing down to a dead female monkey.

I looked at the little brown creature and could see it peeking through the leaves at us. I could tell it wasn't very big, when I saw it on Edward's head. I looked at Edward worried. He was all scratched up, and his hand was bleeding from a pretty bad bite.

"Why don't you take Jacob back to the cave and clean yourself up. I'll deal with this."

"Bella," he said my name, about to protest, but I held up my hand.

"It's just a baby, Edward, and you were taking its mom," I explained. His face saddened, and he looked like he felt guilty. "You didn't know," I said pulling him to me and kissed his lips lightly.

He smiled softly. "I like it when you kiss me," he whispered, and then I'd swear he blushed.

I couldn't help but smile at him. He really was such a sweetheart under all that awkward. "Well, be a good boy and go get cleaned up. I have a baby monkey to attend to."

He pouted lightly, sticking out his lip, and I couldn't resist kissing it just one more time. He smiled softly and whispered thank you. He picked up Jacob and hurried away, looking warily at the trees. My boy was scared of monkeys.

I walked over to the body of the mother and checked for a pulse. There wasn't one. I gently closed her eyes and petted her head softly. I knew the baby was watching, and I hoped he would come down. I sat down next to the mother and took her hand, petting it softly, waiting for the baby. I could see him moving closer out of the corner of my eye. He finally made it to the ground and sat on the opposite side of his mother. He picked up her hand the way I held her other and petted it softly. I tried to let him know I was sorry by the look in my eyes. The poor little thing leaned down and curled on its mother's chest, pulling the limp arm over him. My heart broke a little for this baby. I gently started to rub his back, and he made a soft whimpering sound.

We sat for a while, letting him cry over losing his mother. His face turned toward me, and he watched me for a while, and then I offered myself to him, holding my arms out to hug him. He hopped into them, and I hugged the little baby, rubbing his back softly. "I'm so sorry you lost your momma," I whispered. He snuggled more into me, and I carefully stood up and walked back to the cave.

Edward was making dinner when I returned. The chickens came to greet me, and I was surprised to see Polly in the mix, fitting right in with the hens.

"I told you she was a girl," Edward said, pointing to Polly.

I chuckled, and the baby monkey seemed curious of the birds.

"I see you got him settled down," Edward said pointing to the baby monkey in my arms.

"Yes, he just needed time to grieve over losing his mommy. I'm sure you can understand why that would be upsetting."

Edward nodded his head yes stiffly.

Sam came out of the side cove, with Jacob holding his tail like a leash. I went to remove Jacob's hand from Sam's tail, and the monkey freaked out, springing off my head and hanging from a root in the cave ceiling.

Of course he was scared of Sam. I pulled Jacob's hand from Sam's tail, and he licked my hand in thanks. I tried to show Jacob how to pet Sam softly, and Sam patiently lay down and let us torture him for a minute. I knew he understood Jacob was just a pup and treated him accordingly. Edward called Jacob away, trying to save Sam from the petting lesson, and Sam rolled on his side and let out a huff. I rubbed his side, and he rolled onto his back, so I rubbed his belly.

What happened next was just silly. The monkey had snuck down and eased up on Sam, poking his hind leg, and then sprang back up to the ceiling. Sam didn't even flinch. He knew I would never let anything hurt him. He rolled back over onto his tummy and laid his head in my lap. I scratched behind his ears as the monkey came down and poked him again, springing away. This time I laughed a little. "Oh, poor Sam," I said giving him a good scratch, "You have babies harassing you left and right."

He let out a huff in answer, and the monkey came in for another sneak attack, poking him again. This time, Sam just looked at him with a, "What do you want?" expression.

The monkey hopped around excitedly and then came in and poked him again. This time he didn't return to the ceiling, though he did run away. Sam just dropped his head, and I continued to pet him. The monkey made five more poking trips, before he finally came and settled into my lap while I petted Sam.

"See?" I said addressing the monkey, "Sam isn't so bad."

The monkey hopped down and started running his fingers through Sam's hair, and I realized he was grooming him. I was pleased he had accepted Sam as part of his family, and Sam seemed to enjoy the monkey running his fingers through his fur.

Edward brought me a plate of food, and the monkey backed away when he approached. "So, what are you going to name the little bastard?"

"Edward!" I scolded.

He sighed. "Well, have you picked a name?"

"No, I haven't."

He let out a sigh and pulled Jacob into his lap. "Well, how about Oliver?"

"Oliver?" I asked wondering where the hell he'd gotten that name.

"Yeah, Oliver, like Oliver Twist, you know, because he's an orphan."

I chuckled. "Okay, fine, the monkey is Oliver, but I'm calling him Ollie."

Edward nodded in agreement and went back to feeding Jacob. Ollie made his way over to me, and I offered him some of the food from my plate just like Edward was doing with Jacob and he took it. He curled in my lap and watched Edward with Jacob and I did the same things Edward was doing and Ollie seemed to relax a little more in his presence.

"So do you still want to move into the cave?" Edward asked.

"Yes, if we can make it safe for Jacob. I think it'd be a good idea. It's secure, and well, all our stuff is here already."

Edward nodded his head. "I was thinking of a way to block off that section of the cave, but I also think I have an idea of how to get more light in here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, a lot of scrap metal washed ashore. If we polish it, we can use it to reflect the sunlight into different parts of the cave."

"That's brilliant, Edward! I was just thinking of making candles."

"Well, you can still make candles for nighttime," he suggested. "It'll be getting darker earlier when the seasons change."

I couldn't help but laugh at Polly, perched on a low root with the other chickens. She really did fit right in with them.

I got ready for bed and settled Jacob down. Ollie swung down from the ceiling and plopped next to us, snuggling with Jacob and me. Edward scowled a little, but didn't protest. I couldn't blame him. Ollie had scratched him up pretty good.

I was surprised when Edward pulled me into his arms, and he wasn't even sleeping. I looked up at him worried and glanced back at Jacob.

"He doesn't see anything wrong with our hugging, Bella. You cuddle him, and he sees it as the same thing."

"Well, it's not," I said moving away, but Edward pulled me back to him and growled.

"He didn't see anything offensive."

"He watched me have my first orgasm this morning," I whisper-yelled.

"He doesn't know that. He doesn't even know what an orgasm is, Bella, just…please."

He looked so pitiful, all scratched up by Ollie and pouting with his lip out. It made me want to kiss it. He must've seen my focus change to his lips, because he slowly leaned down, but waited for me to slide my hand up into his hair and pull him the rest of the way to my lips.

He kissed me until I was panting, and I pulled away. "No more. Not until we have our own room."

He just nodded in agreement and buried his face in my hair. His warm breath on my neck sent chills down my spine.

I would be setting up Jake's bedroom first thing tomorrow. I didn't know how much more I could take.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta savior!**

**Chapter 22 – Oh, Brother**

**EDWARD**

I was relieved that Bella had allowed me to hold her while we slept. I was worried that she wouldn't, after Jacob's reaction this morning. I truly didn't see a problem, as he was much too young to know what was going on. She, however, was mortified and refused to let me do anything more than kiss her in his presence.

I was determined to get the cave baby proofed and separate bedrooms set up as soon as possible. I was relieved, when that seemed to be her goal as well. After breakfast, she folded one of the larger sheets in half and started sewing it together to make a mattress for Jacob, and I guess now Oliver's room.

I still didn't trust that monkey. I didn't like the way he looked at me, but he was always the picture of innocence when he was in Bella's arms, sneaky little bastard. He hung onto her as if she was his mother and even acted as if Jacob was a sibling, grooming him when they played together.

I did smile when he was scolded for chasing the chickens. Little bastard thought it was funny to leap out at them repeatedly, making them freak out. Jacob found this humorous and encouraged the bad behavior. Polly, however, suddenly found her voice and took it upon herself to repeat Bella's scolding, which was just freaking hilarious. Damn bird became a word and sound sponge, even picking up on me telling Sam he was such a good boy. Later, I was bent over with my ass in the air, working on clearing the dirt from the roof cave in, when the cheeky bird pointed out that I was such a good boy, too. Bella looked up and took a long appreciate gawk at my ass. I caught her staring and winked at her, causing her to blush and smile. I think I liked Polly.

**EMMETT**

I looked at the number in my hand several times. Was I really going to do it? Alice was in the loony bin for a reason, right?

I shook my head at myself. She really didn't seem all that crazy, except for the occasional spacing out, and she insisted my brother was still alive, along with another woman and a baby. I felt sorry for those two. I loved my brother, I truly did, but he was a tough guy to be around sometimes.

He could read minds, and sometimes I wished he wouldn't. He never really commented on what someone was thinking, but I could tell by his actions that he was judging.

He'd never approved of my fast and loose lifestyle, so it fucking shocked me when he stood up for me against Tanya's accusations. We both knew for a fact that she'd been full of bullshit, it had been blatantly obvious, but for some reason, the judge didn't see it that way. What was fucking sick was, once they locked Edward up, they started questioning everything he had done or tried to do.

He had developed some awesome revolutionary surgical techniques, and they were no longer being put to use. People would rather die than use a crazy man's technique. The world was not a better place with him put away.

I'd always thought he was nuts for becoming a doctor. It was just too much schooling for me. It took too much time, and brain power, that I just didn't have. I'd admit I envied him. I'd wished to God I could change the way things had turned out. He was needed in the free world much more than I ever was. What he'd done with his life made my stupid football career seem like shit.

I wasn't through college yet. I didn't have the focus Edward did. I had originally wanted to be a football star, but after what Tanya pulled, no one would touch me. The bitch got her way, even though she lost her case against me. She had ruined my brother's life and mine, and I wished I could find a way to take her down. Edward could have, I was sure of that. He knew everyone's deepest, darkest secrets, and he was always good at keeping them.

I got up from my desk and flipped the phone in my hand a few times, before gaining the courage to dial. If there was a chance my brother was still alive somewhere, I had to do everything in my power to find him.

I dialed and waited as the phone rang several times. I thought, fucking great, I was going to have to leave a vague message, because nothing I could have said would sound remotely sane.

I was surprised when a stern male voice answered. "Who are you?"

I was startled, but tried to pull myself together to respond. "I…um…I'm Emmett Cullen. I was looking for Rosalie Hale. I think I may have misdialed. I'm sorry."

"No," the voice snapped.

"No?"

"You've not misdialed. What business do you have with Ms. Hale?"

"Her sister, Alice…she…um…she told me to call her?"

The line was silent for a few seconds, before a beautiful feminine voice came on.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Hale?"

"Yes, you said you'd spoken to my sister, Alice?"

"Yes, Ma'am, she's friends with my brother, Edward."

"Oh, yes, she'd mentioned him on a few of my visits. What does she want?"

"Actually, I'm not entirely sure. She didn't say what to ask you or tell you, just that I needed to call you, and well, if you know Alice..."

"Yes, it was smart of you to heed her advice and call. Did she mention anything else during your visit?"

"Um, well, I don't know if she told you this, but my brother was on Flight 325 that went down in the ocean off of Florida."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, didn't he listen to her?"

"She told him to go ahead and go on it. She said he's still alive, along with a woman and a baby on an island somewhere."

"That's wonderful! Have you pulled a search party together yet?"

"See, that's the thing. I don't have a lot of pull with that kind of stuff, and well…" I let out a huff; no one would take the word of Alice.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"She says there's a captain that's crazy enough to take his ship to the island, but he won't go nuts until February."

"My heavens, that's a long time to be out on an island."

"Yeah, but I don't really know what to do. I kind of want to take off work and set it all up and go find my brother, but I'm terrified I'm going to throw my life away going on a wild goose chase, only to find that my brother's been gone all along."

The line was silent for a moment, and then she let out a sigh. "I think I know why she had you call me. We'll have to meet. I'll give you back to Demetri. He can give you directions to my home. We'll need to talk in person for this."

"Um, okay?" That was not what I'd expected, and I wondered what the hell she had figured out and what she would tell me. Alice had said I would like her, and I hoped she was right. I would really hate for this to turn out badly.

God only knew I'd had enough of that already.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**This amazing chapter is brought to you by Dollybigmomma, as she knew I had been struggling with updating, and we had spoken extensively about what should happen in the story. FYI, if you ever get stranded on a deserted island, she's the one you want with you. She freaking rocks the survival ideas! So without further adieux, I'll let you read her chapter!**

**Chapter 23 – Waste Not, Want Not**

**EDWARD**

Bella and I worked hard side by side to get the cave converted into home sweet home. The first thing I did was build a screen of woven saplings to block off the passage of the cave that led back to the water and jammed it into place, securing it with several large rocks. I also built one for the cave entrance to keep out any unwelcomed "visitors."

I finished clearing and smoothing the cave floors, while Bella finished the new mattress casing for Jacob's bed and then spent the rest of the afternoon collecting, beating and drying moss to stuff it. Her fine feathered ladies-in-waiting made quick work of the bugs, including Polly, who had picked up on the sounds the chickens made, clucking and squawking along with them as they chased their latest easy meal.

I collected a nice big basket of worms as I cleared and leveled the caved-in dirt. Those would come in handy for fishing later. Alice had said there would be a huge run of large fish available this week just off the beach and to use the big fishing hooks and heavier line in my trunk to do some saltwater fishing. She also explained to me how to make salt dehydrating trays out of tree bark, so we could have enough salt to preserve what we caught and gathered for later use during the short season. I was beginning to believe we would be here a while.

One of the things about being stuck at the mental hospital that had annoyed the shit out of me at the time was the gardening and crafts they encouraged us to do. I never particularly excelled in basket weaving, but I showed Bella what little bit I remembered. She was a natural at it, picking it up quickly. She said it was kind of like macramé, which she loved doing courtesy of her grandmother. We had an abundance of materials to work with, given the amount of damaged plants and foliage lying around, so she planned on making woven mats to cover the cave floor.

I missed Alice suddenly. She had insisted we take the classes together, and she used to sit with me and we would "talk" silently while we worked, making it easier for me to block out the offensive thoughts of the over-painted older woman teaching the classes. I still shuddered at the memory of her creepy fantasies involving some of the mental patients, especially me.

As soon as we finished getting the cave settled, Bella wanted to get back to looking for the goats and exploring the island. I wanted to put Jacob down for a nap and test the cave acoustics, but she insisted we needed to survey the island for anything exposed or damaged by the storm, so that we could use it or preserve it before it either spoiled or was consumed by animals, or washed back out to sea.

I had gone on several short expeditions trying to find the goats with no luck. However, I never wandered too far from the cave. I still didn't know where the rest of the big cats on the island were, and I was wary of either of us going off alone. I knew if I didn't appease her, Bella would eventually set off exploring on her own, so I made preparations for us to go together and gather what we could find.

I was thankful for the hand tools Alice had included in my trunk, as I built a pull cart to take with us, fashioning a set of wheels from two slabs of wood cut from a fallen tree. I used the hammer, chisels, and the wood rasp file to carve the holes for the axle, which I carved from a strong sapling. I built an X-sided frame out of more saplings that sat over the axle, and then I lashed small branches together for the bottom and strips of tree bark for the sides, before lining it with banana leaves, creating a basket. The cart ended up being about three feet long and a couple of feet deep, big enough to hold lots of stuff. When Bella saw it, she jumped into my arms and kissed me silly.

"It's wonderful, Edward! How did you know how to make that," she asked excitedly.

"Alice," was all I needed to say. My letter had a hand-drawn diagram, and I'd just followed her instructions. I would have to remember to make something wonderful for Alice when we were rescued.

After a night of attempting to get Jacob to sleep in his own new bed, Bella finally gave up, bringing him back to bed with us, when he wouldn't stop crying. He was teething still and fussy, and no doubt a little spoiled at having her snuggled up to him at night. I was determined, however, that he was going to sleep in his own bed, between Oliver and Sam if necessary. I desperately wanted to be able to have a night alone with Bella, and I was pretty sure she wanted it, too, and nothing was going to happen as long as Jacob was in the bed with us.

**BELLA**

As soon as the morning sunlight filtered into the roof opening of the cave, we were up and eating a quick breakfast. I cooked on my new metal cooking surface before heading out. Edward had built a nice new stone fire pit and used a few rocks to elevate one of the smaller sheets of metal over the flame. It worked great!

We had actually only traversed a small part of the island, being wary of predators, but I was determined to explore the island further. We packed up gear for foraging and set out on our adventure.

Thankfully, the fruit trees had sustained the least of the damage, since they were somewhat protected by larger foliage overhead. We picked up everything we could that was on the ground and removed any fruit from the damaged branches that would die. Edward trimmed the trees, so they would stay healthy, and we brought our first haul back to the cave, before setting off again. I needed to do something to try and preserve the fruit. I hoped Alice's letter had some words of wisdom for me for doing that.

We left again, and I led the way back to the old hollow tree that had the bees in it to see how it had fared in the storm. I was saddened to find that many of the bees had been killed, but there were still a good amount of them buzzing around. The bees were smart and had sealed the tree up, preserving their precious treasure. We decided to come back later, prepared to smoke the bees and collect some honey. I figured I could use some of it with the fruit to make preserves, and we would definitely need some of the wax for candles and sealing.

We continued on through the jungle, and Edward spotted a number of edible plants I never would have considered even trying, much less know what they were.

"We had a big garden at the hospital. A bunch of us worked in it. I worked mostly in the herb garden, since it smelled the best. We grew a little of everything," he said as he pinched off some shoots from a rosemary plant. "A lot of herbs have tropical origins and wild counterparts. We'll probably be able to find lots of different things, if we pay attention."

Edward found a patch of some kind of mint growing near the edge of a small stream. He rolled some of the leaves between his fingers and held them under my nose for me to smell the crisp aroma.

"That smells amazing. I'll bet we can make some great mint tea or lemonade with it." Edward popped several leaves into his mouth and chewed them up, then gave me a searing kiss. "Wow, I definitely can see some other uses for this as well." As I looked up at him, the moment passed. I started laughing at the green bits stuck to his teeth.

By the time the sun had started to set, we had found a patch of wild onions that had a slight garlic flavor to them, a few bushes of something that smelled like oregano, some wild basil and sage, a plant with roots that smelled like fennel, and some unfortunate ginger roots that had been exposed and their tops damaged from the storm. I was excited to find some trees with vines growing on them, bearing some type of long beans on them that turned out to be vanilla beans. I picked some to dry, looking forward to having a cup of vanilla-flavored coconut milk. We gathered giant sunflowers to dry, from a large stand that had fully-formed seed heads on them, but the storm had broken most of the stems. We also gathered as many coconuts and green bananas as we could that had been blown down.

"We can use a piece of the sheet metal and lay things out on it to dry in the sun. Then we can salt them to preserve them," Edward said. "That way so much of what we gathered won't go to waste. We're going to need to preserve what we can, to make it through the winter. I'm not sure how bad the weather gets here, but we need to be prepared." We found a few small fish that had been storm-battered, but were still barely alive and floundering in the surf near beach, and we gathered some of them to bring back with us.

We decided to head back for the evening and stopped by the waterfall to wash up and get water for the night. I noticed that a lot of the brush around the falls had been blown away, exposing the banks. Edward had accidentally stepped in what he thought was mud, but as I tried to help him scrape it off his shoes, I realized it was clay.

"Edward, feel this!" I said excitedly and handed him a big wad of the pasty earth. He looked at me confused and slightly disgusted by the wad of gooey earth in his hand. "It's clay! If we can build a fire hot enough, I can work this into pots and stuff and fire it. I took a pottery class in college, and the professor taught us how to process raw clay. It's really easy, just messy."

"I think I could probably construct a fire box or something inside that rock alcove close to the cave using stones and sand to close it in. Some pots and stuff could come in handy for storing the salted stuff once we get it processed."

I was definitely ready for some rest by the time we got back to the cave. Jacob's head was nodding, so he was obviously tired, too. I stoked the fire and got the water boiling, while Edward cleaned the fish. I seasoned them with some of our newfound herbs and lay them out to cook on the sheet metal, while Edward unloaded the cart.

Jake barely stayed awake long enough to eat dinner. I changed him and handed him off to Edward. He had been having a quiet conversation with Jacob off and on all day, and when he went to lay him down, Edward took Jake over to his room in the cave and called to Sam to come and lie down with him. Ollie lay down with him as well, snuggling up to Jake's sleeping form.

I was already lying down, when Edward came in and lay down next to me.

"Well, we're finally alone," he whispered, and I hummed in agreement, as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled my back against his chest. "Are you as tired as I am?" he asked, his voice sounding like it was fading. Again, I hummed yes, barely audible this time. "You're mine in the morning," he said quietly into the back of my hair as his hand slowly rubbed my abdomen. Within seconds, he was snoring softly. I smiled to myself as I drifted off.

I was looking forward to it.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review! I'm sure Dollybigmomma would love to hear a word from you!**


	24. Chapter 24

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma polished it pretty.**

**Chapter 24 – Be Nice and Share**

**BELLA**

What the hell was I thinking? I had never done anything like this before. Edward was fast asleep, still spooned against my back, with his very large member poking me in the ass. He would wake up soon and want to do something with that thing, but I wasn't sure what, and I was starting to panic.

I slipped out of his arms and threw on my clothes. I saw the cart and decided I should get some clay and get started on making pots, so we could store stuff for winter. I grabbed the cart and hurried out the door so fast, the girls almost couldn't keep up with me. I smiled back at Polly as she hopped and flapped her wing. She seemed to meld right into our weird little family.

I got to the waterside and started to dig up the clay, tossing the bugs and worms I came across to the birds. Polly was being a bit of a hog, so I told her to be nice and share. After scolding her a few times, she repeated it, telling the chickens to be nice and share. I couldn't help but laugh at them, hopping around each other, fighting over the bugs.

Once I collected a load of clay that I wasn't even sure I was strong enough to cart back to the cave by myself, I looked down at my body, and I was covered in mud. I glanced at the waterfall. I was nervous about showering out in the open, now that all the foliage had been damaged, but I was a mess. I used to have some cover, but anyone could walk up and see me showering butt naked now.

I laughed at myself. There was no one else on the island, and Edward was still sleeping. I needed to clean up, before I went back to make breakfast. I figured I should wash the mud out of my clothes as well. It wasn't good for the material.

I started washing my clothes off while I wore them, and once they were scrubbed clean, I laid them out on a neighboring rock to dry and went back to showering my body. I had gotten caked with mud, so it was going to take some real work to get myself and my clothes clean.

**EDWARD**

I woke up and reached out to find an empty cold spot, where my Bella had once laid. I got up, wondering if the baby had woken. I slowly shuffled my way over to Jake's room and peeked in. Oliver and Jake were still fast asleep. Sam picked up his head, but I told him to stay. He let out a huff and dropped his head. I had a feeling he wasn't thrilled to be on babysitting duty. I walked back to the main cave and noticed that the chickens and Polly were gone, along with the cart. I wondered what the hell was so important that she had to sneak off first thing in the morning.

I made my way out of the cave, cursing not being able to read her mind and find her in an instant. My worry killed my morning wood. Didn't she know there were still predators on the island?

I hadn't gotten too far, when I heard the chickens clucking and Polly squawking, "Be nice and share!" I had to laugh. That bird picked up everything Bella said, whether she liked it or not. It sounded like she was by the water, and I made my way down the path to check on her.

I had just approached the water's edge, when I saw Bella taking off her shirt.

Fuck, so much for no morning wood.

She laid her shirt out, and then I watched as she wiggled her hips out of her shorts and laid them out as well. She stood in the water with her eyes closed, washing her underthings. I just got harder watching her hands run over her bra and panties. I watched as she pinched the clasp of her bra open and then pulled it off and tossed it up across a tree branch.

Her beautiful little pink nipples puckered under the cool water, and I suddenly really wanted my lips on them. My cock was so hard, it was fucking painful. I knew I should stop looking and go back to the cave. She was showering, not getting naked for me to get off watching her.

I tried to take a step back up the path and moaned in pain as my cock seriously did not want to leave Bella's presence.

Polly, the little bastard, squawked, "Good Boy!" causing Bella's eyes to open. They found me immediately, causing her to blush and cover her chest. I felt like such an ass. I needed to say something, anything, to keep her from thinking I was the sick bastard that I truly was.

"You were gone. I was worried."

She gave me a weak smile and nodded okay. "I was collecting clay for the pots. I'm glad you came. I think I overloaded the cart."

I looked over at the cart and smiled. There was no way my girl would have been able to move that thing. I walked over to the cart, careful not to aggravate my cock any more than it already was.

"Um, Edward?"

I looked up, surprised to hear her voice so close. She still wasn't dressed, and it wasn't helping the problem in my shorts.

"Yeah?" I asked curious as to what she was up to.

"Do you want to take a cold shower first?" She looked back to the waterfall and then down to my pants.

Yeah, I guess it was pretty obvious. I cleared my throat. "You being dressed, or rather undressed like that, won't help. It isn't going to make a difference, even if the water is cold."

"I, um, sorry?" she said unsure.

I just had to laugh, she was so adorable. I pulled her to me, not caring if she was wet, and kissed her deeply, making us both moan. Fuck, my cock was not going to settle down anytime soon.

"Be nice and share!" Polly squawked looking at us.

"No chance, Polly. This worm in mine," Bella said squeezing my waist.

"I promise you, it's much larger than a worm," I whispered in her ear.

**BELLA**

Edward was watching me. I felt his eyes burning my skin and decided to try and be bold. That usually didn't work out for me, but I thought I would give it a shot. I saw how he reacted, and I was pleased with myself. I was not exactly sure of what I was doing, but he seemed to like that. Then he had to go and say he was bigger than a worm. Of course I knew that! He was huge! Well, I thought he was for a guy, but I wasn't sure. I had never seen one.

He pressed against me, and I felt my whole body heat up. I didn't know what the hell was happening to me, but my body seemed to be responding to him in kind.

His hand roamed down to my ass as he nibbled my neck. He made his way down my collarbone, and I decided to be bold again. I cupped him through his pants and rubbed softly, causing him to moan and press more into my hand. I guess he liked it, so I kept rubbing him as he made his way to my breast. He looked up at my face, and I squeezed his cock, causing him to moan louder and dip his head straight to my breast. He took a tentative lick, causing me to shiver, and then he took it in his mouth, curling his tongue around me.

My whole body seemed to explode in flames. I had no idea it'd feel like that, and I quickly realized I had tangled my fingers in his hair, pressing him into my chest. He chuckled and kissed his way up to my ear. "Like that?"

I just hummed my affirmative answer, and he squeezed my ass in his hands. "Good. I'll give you more tonight, but Jake is waking up, and we have to get back to work."

He kissed me again and then headed for the cart, leaving me standing there. How in the hell did this get so turned around? My body shivered, and it wasn't because I was cold. I quickly hopped in the waterfall again and let the cold water cool me down.

Edward started pulling the cart back to the cave. "Tonight," he said smirking, and I just shook my head.

That boy would be the death of me.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma freaking rocks the beta scene!**

**Chapter 25 – Duck and Cover**

**EDWARD**

We made it back to the cave just in time to see Oliver trying to change Jacob's diaper. Monkeys and shit, you know what happened next, right? That little bastard threw a handful right at me. "Stop throwing shit!" I yelled.

Polly decided to back me up, squawking, "Stop throwing shit!"

She didn't like Oliver that much, since he liked to poke and spook the birds. Anytime something was yelled at him, she picked it up immediately. Bella was not pleased with Polly's swearing, but technically, it wasn't swearing, because it was referring to shit, not calling someone or something shit. I didn't point that out to her, because I had a feeling she would tell Oliver to throw more shit at me.

Bella quickly cleaned Jacob up in the cave water, and Oliver as well. Sam followed me outside to the waterfall. I knew he needed a break from that little monkey bastard. I knew he drove Sam just as crazy as me. "Hey, boy, sorry about leaving you behind this morning." I realized I was talking to him like Bella talked to the chickens. Maybe I was nuts.

**BELLA**

I got to making breakfast, once the baby and Ollie were cleaned up. I really was getting sick of eggs and wanted to see if that field of grain had survived the storm. I suspected it was some kind of wild wheat, and we could make bread and pancakes, maybe even muffins, if I just had some damn wheat of some kind to make flour. But no, Edward was too worried about the mountain lions attacking. The field wasn't even on the mountain! We still had yet to find the goats as well. I was getting really worried about them.

I served everyone some scrambled eggs, just as Edward returned. I noticed the scowl he gave Ollie. I would have to talk to him about being nicer to him. Otherwise, he'd probably end up getting poop thrown at him again. He sat down with Sam and ate his breakfast in silence. Once he was done, he read his letter from Alice and let out a sigh.

"I'm going to help you get the clay ready for throwing," he said and slipped out after kissing me on the top of my head. He seemed sad, and I wondered why that was. It worried me. I pulled out my letter and read the short section for the day. She basically told us to focus on getting the clay pots ready and for me not to go off looking for the goats on my own. I rolled my eyes. It was crazy how she always seemed to know what I was thinking. I hoped to meet this Alice someday and ask her why I couldn't do so many things.

Edward used some rocks and a piece of the old tarp from the roof of our hut to make a soaking bin for the clay. I lined it with a section of one of the sheets and then loaded the clay into it, covering it with enough water to start breaking it down. It needed to be softened so the rocks and tidbits trapped in the clay could settle out, and then it needed to go through the process of settling, straining and curing before I could begin working with it.

Edward seemed very distracted today, and it was starting to worry me. Once the clay was set up, he started polishing some of the sections of the sheet metal he had found. He used his machete to chop at it, breaking it into smaller sections. I was about to ask him what he was doing when he walked over to a wall of the cave and angled a piece of it just right, catching the rays and reflecting the sunlight in from the hole above.

"This will give us more useful room in the cave and better light during the day," he said wedging it up into some roots.

The chickens saw the freshly illuminated section of cave and scurried over looking for bugs. Polly squawking, "Be nice and share!" led me to believe they'd found some.

Ollie found the sheet metal entertaining. He kept swooping down in front of it and jumping back up, watching the light in the next room go on and off. Yeah, so glad we didn't have light switches right now.

**EDWARD**

Alice wanted me to tell Bella everything, before we had sex. I wasn't really planning on having sex with her tonight, but I was hoping to get off. Jesus, I didn't want to tell her. She barely thought I was sane as it was. I thought it might be okay to just get off with her and not have sex. They were two very different things. Besides, I thought Bella deserved a special night if we did decide to have intercourse. I suspected she was a virgin and was surprised by her forwardness at the waterfall. I definitely enjoyed it and would have enjoyed her more, if it weren't for those meddling kids!

I laughed to myself, thinking of Scooby Doo. I loved watching that as a kid. I always tried to figure out who the culprit was before Thelma. I thought she was so cool, because she always knew. I'd wanted to be a detective for a while. My mind reading would've come in handy, but my parents pushed me to be a doctor. I struggled with what a saw in everyday people's minds. My father didn't want that for me. He knew I needed a career where I was too focused to listen to anyone, and the adrenalin of having a life in your hands on the surgical table was enough to keep me focused.

I had helped a lot of people, until Tanya happened. I just wished I could get her thrown into a mental hospital and get my name cleared. Alice told me it would happen one day, but not for a long time. She told me that going to help my friend, Ben, in Florida would be the key to it all, but I never made it. Was that part of the plan? Did she know things would end like this? I let out a sigh. Of course she did. She packed the damn trunks, didn't she? I just didn't understand why she would send me on a crashing plane to be stranded on a deserted island. If anything, that would make me crazier than I already was.

**EMMETT**

I drove up to the address I'd been given over the phone. It was a large gated estate. I buzzed in and parked across from the doorway, getting out and looking around, before a large mean-looking guy opened the door. "Mr. Cullen, this way, please."

I gave him a tight smile, because the dude freaked me out a little.

"Ms. Hale is in the front parlor," he said opening a door.

I walked in to see a blonde woman looking over some papers on a coffee table.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Cullen," she said waving her hand toward the seat across from her. I noticed a large scar running up her arm and did my best not to stare.

"Please, call me Emmett, Ms. Hale," I said as I sat down. She looked up at me and smiled. From a distance, I doubted anyone would have noticed the scars that covered her body, since she had covered them with makeup, but as close as I was to her, I could see several covering her face and running down her neck. "So, you think you know why Alice wanted me to talk to you?"

"Yes, you say you don't want to be sent on a wild goose chase. She sent you here, so I could reassure you it's not." She reached next to her and grabbed a silver cane. She stood up slowly, and it looked like it was painful. I quickly stood and offered her a hand. She smiled a soft beautiful smile, thanking me. "You see, Mr. Cullen..."

"Emmett," I reminded her.

"Emmett," she said my name smiling wider and it made my chest pinch in excitement. "You see, Emmett, I used to be a beautiful girl." I wanted to protest, but I didn't want to interrupt her, either. "My father had married Mrs. Brandon a little after my seventeenth birthday. I was aware I had a stepsister and knew she was in a mental hospital, and that had caused the divorce between her parents. I was told she was wicked and that she cursed people that didn't do as she said. I was never to talk to her. I was never going to meet her, so I had nothing to worry about." She let out a deep sigh and pulled a book off of a shelf next to her.

"She called me one night. She was upset and in tears, and she begged me not to go to a party my friend, Nathan, was having. I thought she was crazy, but she wouldn't give up. She called me for three days, and I finally told my father what was happening. I was stupid. I was annoyed by her and told her to stop calling me. My father got her phone privileges cut off." She sat back down.

"The night of the party, I went without a second thought, though my stepmother watched me worriedly as I left. She told me to be careful. She was afraid Alice would hurt me. They thought she was jealous of me. They were wrong. This," she motioned to her scarred body and leg, "happened that night. She had tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. My parents thought it was Alice's doing, but I knew better. So when I turned eighteen, I started to visit with her. She cried when she saw me looking like this, and I told her I was sorry I didn't listen. I promised I'd never take her for granted again. I wanted to take her home with me, but I couldn't. I was still under the care of nurses, not fully able to care for myself, so they wouldn't release her to me.

"Everything I have now is thanks to Alice. I follow her investment advice to the 'T' daily, and she's never let me down. I finish my last bout of physical therapy next week, and then I'll finally be able to bring her home to live with me. She's not crazy, Mr. Cullen. She's gifted. If she says your brother is alive, then he's alive. We just need to listen to her, so we can go get him."

She opened the book, and I saw it was several maps of the Bermuda Triangle. "She says he's about here," she pointed to a section on the map, and I realized all the papers on the table were of the latest storm that had passed through there. She was pointing out where I'd be going to find my brother. "Oh, and one more thing, Emmett," she said with a smile. "We'll be coming with you. Apparently, Edward is a dear friend of hers, and she insists he's not crazy, either. So, do you mind telling me why Alice believes Edward isn't insane?"

I let out a sigh. This was a long nasty story, and I'd always covered for Edward. I didn't really want to share it now, but the look she gave me, let me know there was no way I was leaving without telling her. I just hoped she would still want to help me after she knew it.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review! The pottery stuff is all Dollybigmomma. I don't know jack about that stuff. As I said, she is the one you want to get stranded with on the island. She is freaking awesome!**


	26. Chapter 26

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beautiful beta!**

**Chapter 26 - I'm Telling**

**EDWARD**

Telling Bella was going to be harder than I thought. The more I ran the conversation through my head, the worse it sounded. It never came out right and never in my favor, either. If I found myself stranded on an island with a complete stranger, and they'd told me what I had to tell Bella, I would move to the opposite side of the island. Especially if I was a woman that had been sleeping next to me for the past several months, I would definitely move to the opposite side of the island.  
Fucking Alice and her "_tell Bella first"_ shit!

She was totally going to know I didn't tell Bella first, too, if I didn't. I'd definitely catch shit from Bella, not to mention Alice. She might have been tiny, but I'd seen her fight off some bat-shit crazy people for the last Jell-O pudding cup. You didn't mess with Alice. That girl was scrappy.

I watched as Bella cleaned up after dinner. I was holding Jacob in my arms, getting him to sleep for the night, but unlike last night, I wasn't in a hurry to be alone with Bella. I really didn't want to see her reaction to what I had to say.

Oliver was hanging off the back of Bella as she washed the dishes. He was nodding off as she rocked back and forth between the two washtubs I'd made for her out of some of the scrap metal, washing and rinsing the dishes. Sam had already retired to the mattress in Jake's room. I think he liked having a soft bed to lie on. He was spoiled for a wild dog, and he knew it. I think that was why he was so patient with everyone, especially Jake. I couldn't have ever asked for a better dog.

If we were ever rescued, I'd want to take him with us, but I knew I couldn't keep him. I wondered if Emmett would be willing to take him. I wondered what the hell I was going to do when I got back. I didn't want to go back to that fucking loony bin, but at this point, I didn't have a choice. What sucked worse was the one doctor who knew I was sane was dead. I didn't know what the hell I was going to do. How the hell was I supposed to tell Bella all this shit?

I looked down to see Jake sleeping in my arms. When I stood up, Bella looked over at me. She smiled when she saw the sleeping baby in my arms and followed me with a sleeping Oliver.

We tucked them both into Sam's side, and he didn't even raise his head when they snuggled into him. He really was a good dog. I'd have to go hunting and get him some good meat treats soon.

To my surprised, Bella grabbed my hand and pulled me out of Jake's room and started toward our room. I had started something with her at the falls this morning, and I knew she was expecting me to finish it. Freaking Alice!

We stripped down and dressed in our bedclothes. Bella lay down and waited expectantly for me to join her. I just stood there nervously, trying to think of how to start this conversation.

"Bella, Alice wants me to tell you everything, before we progress our relationship any further," I said and waited for her response. She didn't say anything.

"Did you hear me?" I asked.

"What is there to tell?" she asked, and I could hear the anxiety in her voice. "Are you married?"

"No, I can't stand women!"

"You're gay?" she exclaimed shocked.

"No, why do you always assume I'm gay?"

I could see her shrug. "You're kind of pretty for a guy, even all scruffy with your beard."

"I'm not pretty!"

She chuckled. "Edward, what were you going to tell me?"

I sat down, but not close to her. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable when it all came out. "Um, I'll start with something easy." Well, it was the easiest of all the things I had to tell her. "I'm not a practicing doctor anymore."

"Okay," she sounded confused.

"I lost my license to practice a little over a year ago."

She cleared her throat nervously. "How, what, um, can you tell me why?" she finally stuttered out.

"I was convicted of a crime and banned from practicing." I really didn't want her to ask what crime, and I really didn't want to tell her.

"So, you were caught doing something bad?" she asked.

"No, I took the fall for my brother. I knew he was innocent. I thought I could help, you know, give the jury the benefit of the doubt, but it didn't work out that way."

She was sitting quietly. "So you were convicted of a crime your brother was charged with?"

"Yes," I muttered.

"What was the crime?"

I rubbed my face. That was the bad part. Once she heard it, she'd want to run away. I'd want to run away. "I can sleep in the meadow tonight. I understand if my presence makes you uncomfortable."

"What was it, Edward?" she demanded.

"It's bad."

"Are you going to tell me?"

I let out a huff.

"You're innocent, though, right?"

I nodded my head quickly in the darkness. "Yes."

"So, it's no big deal, just tell me."

I took a deep breath and finally said, "Child rape."

"What?" she practically screeched.

"She was fourteen and accused my brother. I read her mind, Bella. I know he didn't do it. Not to mention I don't even believe my brother is capable of doing something like that. I mean, he gets plenty of action on his own, he never needs to take it by force."

"How the hell did you get roped into it?"

This was where things got crazy. I pinched my nose and took another deep breath. "She works for her parents at a hotel my brother stayed in with some chick he'd picked up at a bar. He threw the condom in the trashcan, and as sick as it sounds, Tanya, the fourteen-year-old, pulled it out and doused herself with his sperm. Then she cried rape. They took what they could, but the sample was old and degraded. They could only do an eighty percent match, meaning they wouldn't be able to differentiate between family members. I thought if I threw them off and said the DNA was mine, my brother would get off.

"The problem was she decided that she'd pin the whole thing on me. She figured out that college ball wouldn't pay out like my being a surgeon. They settled out of court. I was given a deal. I was furious, because I knew she was lying, and I told anyone that would listen. But the thing is, once you're accused, everyone automatically sees you as guilty. It didn't help that I had confessed to it being mine at one point. I got my brother off, but hung myself."

"So what, you were in jail? What were you doing on the plane?"

"I was on leave, so I could perform a surgery for a friend of mine. His wife needed a surgeon that was practiced in a method I invented. The problem was…" I sighed again, "Everyone thinks I'm insane, so they don't practice my method. Ben received special permission for me to go to Florida to perform the surgery on his wife. I hope she's okay."

"Why would they all disregard your work?"

"Bella, I didn't go to jail. I came out and told them I could read minds and that I knew Tanya was lying. I was sent to a mental institution instead of prison." I leaned back against the wall, waiting for her to respond.

"Huh," she said and flopped back on the bed.

Huh? That was it?

"So, is that where you met Alice?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Must be some pretty cool place if they have mind readers and psychics," she said fluffing the top of the mattress and laid down.

"I, um, what?" What the hell? I wished I could read her mind, because I totally didn't understand her reaction. Was she really okay with everything, with me?

She snuggled down into the bed. "So, are you coming to bed? I'm pooped," she said and yawned.

"Monkey pooped or baby pooped?" I asked teasingly.

She chuckled. "How about a monkey throwing baby poop," she snickered, thinking of the morning escapades of our twisted family.

"I think that would qualify as both," I answered her seriously.

"Fine, I'm both," she said, finally settling down again and yawning once more.

"Sleep well, Bella," I whispered.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Is that why you didn't want my cookies?"

I chuckled, remembering her crazy outburst. "Yeah, I didn't want you to come to the mental hospital and see me there."

She yawned again. "Okay, but I'm still bringing you cookies."

I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against my chest, "As long as they're not coconut."

She snickered at me, "Definitely not eating coconut after this, or banana, either."

"You know they're plantains, right?"

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

I couldn't help the laugh that snuck out of my chest as I pulled her against me tighter and buried my face in her hair. "Goodnight, Bella."

"Night," she mumbled.

I felt amazingly light and giddy. My secret was out, and Bella had not reacted anywhere near like I'd thought she would. She really was amazing. My chest tightened as I held her in my arms. I didn't want to ever be away from her. I thought that I might be falling in love with her. She turned in my arms and nuzzled into my chest. Yes, it was a definite possibility that I was really falling for her, because I had never felt this comfortable with anyone in my life. God, she was perfect. Okay, maybe not perfect, but aside from her death wish and tendency to befriend wild animals, she was pretty near perfect, at least for me.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master!**

**Chapter 27 – Disbelief**

**EDWARD**

I woke up, doing my best not to wake Bella. I'd had a nightmare. It had been a while since I'd had one. Bella had a way of keeping them at bay, but this one was new. I knew it was because of our conversation last night. I was still a little shocked at how well she'd taken it. I was worried that maybe she was just faking, because she didn't want to upset the crazy person. The problem was she was actually driving me crazy with her easy acceptance.

How could she truly be okay with this? I knew she had no sense of self-preservation, but I was pretty sure having a convicted rapist around would have freaked any woman out. Hell, even my skin crawled just thinking about the word. I looked down at her, snuggled into my chest, and wondered what was really going on in her head.

She woke up a few minutes later and saw me watching her sleep. She smiled up at me and said, "Now that's creepy."

"What?" I asked startled and quickly moved away from her, so I didn't make her uncomfortable.

"Chill, Edward, I was talking about the giant spider dangling over your head like some gothic crib mobile." She pointed to a huge-ass spider and shivered at the same time.

"Yeah, I figured that'd be a problem in the cave."

"I'll get the girls. They'll make quick work of him," she said and stood up stretching, letting out a big morning yawn. She was disheveled and beautiful at the same time, beautifully disheveled.

"Here, chick-chick-chick!" she called, and I heard the clucking of the chickens, as if they were answering her back. I wondered for a moment if she didn't have the ability to talk to animals. I mean, Alice saw the future, and I read minds, it really wasn't that farfetched.

Bella pointed out the spider, and one of the larger chickens snapped it up and ran out of the room with it, the other chickens on her heels, trying to steal it from her. I let out a chuckle. They were silly so early in the morning.

"So, can we look for the goats and check out that field? I swear it's probably a grain of some sort. At this point, I don't give a crap what grain it is, I just want it," she said firmly.

I guess we could talk as we walked. "Let's check the letters first," I offered. I didn't know why, but Alice had been really stern about not looking for the goats yet. I just hoped they were okay. I thought it'd really upset Bella if something had happened to them.

She headed out to start breakfast, and I wondered again if she was really fine with everything. I just couldn't see how she would be. I dug out my letter and the first words Alice had written were, "_Talk to her!"_ I thought for a minute she'd doubted that I would actually tell Bella my story, but that was not the case. Her next line was, "_You'll drive yourself crazy if you don't!"_

She was right. I was slowly going mad over this, and I wanted to talk to her privately, without any poop-throwing interruptions.

I slipped out after her and grabbed the pot, so I could fill it with water for us to drink. She didn't say a word as she worked and occasionally looked over at the clucking birds.

I came back, and she was just plating some food for me and smiled as she set the pot on to boil the water. She sat down and leaned against a large rock. She looked at me curiously, "So, are you going to talk to me or what?"

I hadn't realized my silence was bugging her. I chuckled to myself, because her silence had bugged me as well. I nodded my head. "Alice said I should talk to you, or I would drive myself crazy."

Bella smiled at me. "That I can understand, talking can be therapeutic," she said, before stuffing another scoop of eggs into her mouth. She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to tell her what was bothering me.

"Bella, are you sure you're okay with me being here?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, Edward, of course not, I'd like you to leave the state, so I can move on with my life and never think of you again."

"What?"

"I was joking, silly. There isn't another state to go to, you retard. Look, Edward, I believe you. You said you didn't rape that girl, and from what I know of you, it makes sense. You're not a rapist, Edward."

"But how do you know that? Where's your sense of self-preservation? Heavens, woman, are you trying to get yourself killed! You shouldn't trust a convicted rapist! Are you insane?"

"Edward, sit down," she said annoyed. I hadn't even realized I was up and pacing. I took a deep breath and did as she said. "Let me explain my logic. We've been living together for a few months now, and in that time, I've learned that you don't like physical contact, so I seriously doubt you'd be grabbing some strange girl. Also, I had a couple of really wicked bouts of PMS, one in which I actually hit you after flipping out over something stupid. You never yelled back. I've seen you pissed off, and when you are, you get up and leave instead of yelling at me. And I've never seen you lose your temper with Jake."

"Well, he's just a baby!"

She smiled at my retort. "See, that's my point. You're a good man. Also, you've seen me naked as a jaybird, crying about a non-existent tick on my cooch, and you just walked away. See, rapists don't do that. Not to mention you said it was a little brat that accused you. When I caught you jacking off, you said _my_ name," she said smiling like the cat that caught the canary. "I'm not a little girl. You obviously get off thinking of adult women, not children."

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I didn't know she knew I'd said her name.

"And that!" she said laughing. "Edward, you're blushing! I highly doubt that's the trait of a rapist, but that explains it now why you were so adamant about not being a sexual deviant."

"Well, I'm not," I said rubbing my hands down my face. "My experience with women is limited. I find it hard to get past their superficial minds. Honestly, it's just sickening. After the last woman I attempted to date started thinking of her 'list of things to do' while we kissed, I decided to swear off women altogether. Besides, it was usually damn near impossible for me to get aroused, anyway. Most women's minds are a real turnoff. I had to be really drunk to be able to tune them out enough to even get excited, but then when we were alone, I was stuck with their thoughts, and very seldom were they ever about me. That was always a virtual bucket of ice water."

I heard her snicker. I'd just bared my heart to her and she SNICKERED?

She flat out burst out laughing loudly and gasped at me. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I don't mean to laugh. It is just so…" She almost fell over she was laughing so hard.

"It's not funny."

"No, it's not, but it _is_ a relief."

"A relief? So you _did _think I was guilty! I knew it!"

"Edward, that's not what I'm talking about. I meant your experience, or lack of it. I don't feel so bad now that I have no experience at all in bed, either. It levels the playing field a bit."

I frowned at that. "I…I…you…we…I..." I let out a sigh, not really sure what I was trying to say to her. Well, at least she didn't take the news of my inexperience badly.

I might not have had any hands-on experience, but the minds of men had educated me way more than I'd appreciated. I hoped she didn't doubt my ability to please her now, though. I was pretty confident that I could, especially since I couldn't read her mind and get distracted. Now that she knew I wasn't experienced, I really hoped she wouldn't change her mind about having a physical relationship with me.

I really wanted that, badly.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master!**

**Chapter 28 – Insecure**

**BELLA**

Edward had been acting weird ever since our talk. He still wanted to hold me and frequently touched me chastely, but we weren't progressing physically anymore. He was nervous about even going to second base now, and I didn't know why. Something had changed, and he was driving me nuts!

**EDWARD**

We had finally gone searching and found the goats, the few that were left, anyway. The largest ones had been hurt, and a mountain lion had claimed them as his food. The few younger goats had stayed near the dead and half-eaten elders, unsure of what to do. Luckily for us, the mountain lion was full when we came upon him and didn't mind us herding the younger goats away. We left the four dead ones for him, so he didn't feel like we were really taking his food. I think if we'd come a few days earlier, when he was still hungry, we wouldn't have made it out as easily. Once again, Alice had saved our asses. We really owed her.

Bella picked up one of the youngest baby goats that seemed to want to stay behind, and she carried it back to the cave. She really was very compassionate when it came to young animals. She informed me that the goats would be staying in one of the caverns of the cave, and we'd take them out to graze like tamed goats, because they needed someone to watch over them now.

We were lucky; one of the goats was just old enough to give milk, and the rest, I assumed, wouldn't be old enough until next spring. I hoped we would all be okay.

Bella had grabbed some of the tall grass from the field we had seen on our expedition to find the goats. There were heavy seed clusters on the end of it. Once we got home, she beat the grass on the edge of a pot, knocking the seeds loose. "It looks like some kind of wheat. I want to grind it," she told me, so I nodded okay and made the tools she needed for grinding it, fashioning a smoothed concave rock and grinding stone set for her. With this, she was able to turn the grain into a somewhat powdery substance, and she excitedly added milk and eggs to this stuff. She poured some of the honey into the mix that she had acquired, against my better judgment, but no one could tell her what not to do. At least I couldn't. She'd just roll her eyes at me.

The mix made some sort of pancake-like thing. She told me she didn't have baking powder or soda, so I'd better not complain. She served it with some more honey and some wild berries that Oliver had discovered. He went crazy when he'd found them and wouldn't let the chickens or Polly near the bush. He jumped about the bush, running around it protectively, and it brought to mind the song, _Pop Goes the Weasel_.

I started humming it as Oliver chased the chickens around the bush, and Bella burst out laughing.

"All around the Mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel," she sang.

Jake started clapping. He liked the song she was singing. Luckily for us, Oliver didn't mind sharing with Bella, so she was able to get some berries for our pancake dinner.

I just had to say, it was fucking awesome. It had been too long since I'd had a grain-based food. It was delicious, and I made sure she knew it.

That night, she snuggled into me and started kissing me softly, but I slowed her down and stopped her. I had thought things over too much, and I realized that if I wasn't pleasing Bella, I wouldn't know it. I was worried that I had pushed things before she was ready. She'd said she was "relieved" earlier, leading me to believe that she'd been stressed about how things had been progressing before, and I hadn't known it. It made me extremely nervous to try anything else. I had been confident before, but now I wasn't so sure.

It had been a week since our talk, and she seemed to be getting pissed off at me. I asked her if she was menstruating, and she slapped me. I guess that wasn't an appropriate question to ask a girl. In my defense, though, I was pretty sure she was, so I was somewhat justified in asking.

It was two weeks later, when she finally had it out with me. She had me completely fooled, too, as we all calmly ate dinner together and then put everyone to bed. She walked into the bedroom, where I was already dressed and lying on the bed. My back was turned to her. I had taken to keeping my throbbing hard-on away from her. I didn't want to freak her out and ruin her opinion of sex by making her feel pressured.

Bella had just lain down next to me, when I realized that I had forgotten something. I had been so nervous about finding her a gift all week, that I'd almost missed it altogether. Today was her birthday. Alice had sent her a present and told me not to open it, until a week ago. She'd told me what was in the boxes she had marked for Bella and instructed me not to give them to her until she said to.

To make my present, I had to sneak off several times to get what I needed, but I was able to get it ready for her. I had spent the better amount of four days working on it. I really hoped she'd like it.

I rolled over to see that she was crying. I wasn't sure if it was because she knew it was her birthday and she thought I'd forgotten, or because I had done nothing more than kiss her forehead today. "Bella?" I asked, reaching out to wipe her tears away, but she swatted my hand away.

"I've had enough of you and your cold shoulder! You tell me what's wrong right now!" she scowled at me.

I wasn't sure how to answer that, so I thought I'd try and change the subject. "Happy birthday," I said, not sure how it would be received. I was right to be cautious, she ended up slapping me.

She rolled away in a huff, and I could hear her crying softly. I quickly lit the linen at the end of the wax stick that Bella called a candle. It did resemble one, but it always smelled like honey. I guess that was where the idea for scented candles came from.

She sat up, looking at me, tired and worn out, and I quickly opened my trunk. I handed her the little box that was from Alice.

"Alice?" she asked.

I nodded yes. "She told me it was your birthday. It was hard to find a present for you. It isn't like I can just run down to the nearest mall and pick something up."

She smiled sadly at me. "It's okay, Edward. I usually don't celebrate my birthday, anyway."

"Oh, is it against your religion?" I asked. It was a perfectly legitimate question.

She just chuckled and shook her head no. "Sometimes I'd go to the diner with my dad for dinner on my birthday, but other than that, no, I've never really celebrated. I haven't been around for him to take me out the past couple of years."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I understand if you didn't want to. I was never big on celebrating mine, but most people enjoy the hoopla and all that comes with birthdays."

She leaned over and kissed my cheek. She opened the package and started to cry. I hoped it wasn't a sad cry, but a happy one. When she held the book to her chest, I knew she liked it.

**BELLA**

It was Wuthering Heights. I didn't know who Alice was, but I loved her right now. I had a book. I had a real book. And not just any book, my favorite book. I didn't know how she knew it was my favorite, or maybe it was her favorite, too, but I loved it.

"Um, I have a present for you, too. Jake and I worked on it together. Okay, I built it while Jake kept Oliver from stealing my tools, but it was a team effort. I could show you now or maybe tomorrow, when Jake is awake to show you, too?" Edward said quietly.

I leaned over and kissed him. "Waiting is fine."

It was my birthday, and so I wasn't going to let him shy away from me tonight. So when he went to kiss me goodnight, I deepened the kiss, pushing him down, letting him know I wanted him to lay back. He resisted nervously, and it made me smile. I thought I was the only inexperienced virgin here. A rapist he was not. He seemed terrified to go any further with me. I wouldn't push him tonight, but I did want some satisfaction.

I finally got him to comply with me and straddled over his hips, pressing my center down into him. I wanted to get off for my birthday, and maybe Mr. Uptight Mind Reader Boy could get off, too. I whipped off my shirt and pressed down into him with my center.

He groaned a little and grabbed my waist. He looked like he was going to protest, until I started grinding into him. I leaned forward, and he started kissing me again and made his way to my breasts. I had been thinking about that morning by the falls for too long. I needed to relive it, and thank heavens Edward was all for it as well now.

He finally started getting into it and flipped me over on the bed. He started grinding into me something furious, but it felt amazing, so I wasn't complaining.

"Uh, yams…oh, so good…um, yes…birth control..." he stuttered out. I had no idea what he was saying, but I thought he was hungry and trying to think of an excuse to stop.

Besides, I was panting too hard to even make words, so I wasn't even going to try to understand him.

He curled his tongue around my nipple and sucked it into his mouth, causing me to cry out in pleasure. He moved to the other breast and did the same. He tightened his hands on my ass as he rubbed against me and then attacked my mouth.

He kissed down my cheek and breathed in my ear, "I think I'm developing feelings for you, Bella."

I thought I'd heard him wrong at first, but then he slowed his efforts and moved to the other ear. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Bella." He hid his face in my neck for a moment. I thought maybe he was embarrassed, but I pulled his face up to mine and kissed him with all the passion within me. I wanted him to know I had feelings for him, too, and they were good ones.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 29 – New Digs**

**BELLA**

Jake was attempting to jump excitedly, and Ollie was screaming and swinging from the ceiling. Both of them were thrilled when Edward said it was time to show me my surprise. I was somewhat curious about what it could have been given their excitement. Sam even decided to bark, but I think he was just trying to get Ollie to shut up. Even Edward seemed excited to be showing me what he'd made.

We walked back to a part of the cave I wasn't familiar with. Edward repositioned one of his light-reflecting disks and illuminated the small alcove. I looked down shocked at the strange metal seat. Then he lifted the lid, exposing a metal toilet seat. It was held in place by some large logs.

"So, there was this hole I couldn't see the bottom of, so I thought, why dig one, when there was already one right in our own house?" Edward said shrugging.

I was stunned.

I noticed Ollie playing with a stack of leaves.

"Oliver, drop it!" Edward snapped.

"Toilet paper?"

He shrugged at me.

"So, you got me a potty for my birthday?"

Silly Edward looked so nervous.

"Uh, yeah, you'd mentioned once that you wanted a bathroom."

I jumped on him, squealing loudly, causing Sam to bark, Jake to squeal, too, and Ollie to screech. The chickens came running to see what was going on, and the goats even peeked in. I started kissing Edward and pulled back, looking at his shocked face. "This is the best present ever!"

"I would've made you a shower, too, but I kind of like stumbling upon your naked body under the waterfall," he smirked.

I whacked his arm, and he pinched my butt in return.

Things between Edward and I had been moving slowly, but honestly, I was okay with that. We had been together on the island for five months now, and I think we had made great strides in our relationship. We'd gone from glaring and fighting, to talking, from not touching and not sleeping next to each other, to cuddling, and from stammering and avoiding, to kissing and touching. I should've been happy with the progress we'd made, but I was getting restless.

I did finally figure out why Edward kept feeding me wild yams. Turned out some native tribes used it as a form of birth control. It wasn't as effective as the prescription stuff, but it was better than nothing. I really wasn't ready to have a baby, which was kind of silly when I realized I had Jake and Ollie. Okay, Ollie wasn't a baby per se, but he sure thought he was one, and well, of course I loved Jake as if he was my own. I just didn't think I was ready for the whole being fat and miserable thing. It was a pretty strange life we led as it was. We didn't need to bring another kid into this world, just for it to be trapped on the island with us.

Needless to say, I wasn't that surprised when Edward started giving me a slice of wild yam with every meal. He might have been just waiting for it to be effective, and that was why he hadn't made a move to go any further.

**EDWARD**

She loved the bathroom. I was glad she did. I had no idea where that hole went, but when I dropped a rock into it, it took a full minute for it to hit water at the bottom, so it was good and deep. I hoped the methane from the shit would dissipate, before it reached us up here. I tried out the potty myself, and it seemed fine. I didn't really smell anything after a few minutes, so I figured it was all good.

I did have plans to make a shower or bathtub of some kind in the alcove with the water. I just wasn't sure how to pull it off yet. I had a large piece of sheet metal I was thinking of banging into the form of a bathtub. I wouldn't have minded soaking my sore muscles. I had never worked so hard in my life.

Bella gave Jake a hug and a kiss, telling him thank you for the present, and he gave her a monster squeeze. I had been playing tickle monster and would tickle him and give him a monster hug as well. He had taken to monster hugging everyone. The chickens did not appreciate his affections.

**EMMETT**

I got a call from Alice Brandon. Rose was picking her up today, and she wanted my help moving her things. When I arrived, Alice was once again waiting for me at the front door. She quickly rushed me to the sign-in sheet and then pulled me to her room.

Once we were inside, she sat me down and giggled, "I'm so glad you're here. I have all of Edward's things. I was able to sneak them out of his room, before they could throw them away. I didn't want him to lose his things over something as silly as death. Anyway, those six boxes over there are his, if you want to take them, and if you could help me get my stuff downstairs, Rose will be here…now," she said.

Rose tapped lightly on the door, before opening it. "Oh, Mr. Cullen, I didn't know you'd be here," she glared a little at Alice.

"She has some of Edward's stuff. She didn't want it cluttering up you place," I explained.

Rose looked annoyed. "We have plenty of room, Alice. You didn't need to bother Mr. Cullen."

"Emmett, you can call me Emmett, Ms. Hale. It really is no trouble at all, and it looks like you could use a hand getting this stuff out to your truck."

"Truck, Alice, did you call for a truck?" Rose snapped.

"Nope, but Emmett has one," she sang in response and grabbed a couple of boxes and handed them to me. "Come along!"

I shrugged at Rose, and she sighed in response. We loaded them into the back of my truck and headed back inside. Rose was trying to pick up a box, while leaning on her cane.

"I got it," I said coming over to take it.

"No!" she snapped. "I can do it."

"Look, you two," I said as Alice walked in smiling, "Why don't you both just sit and chat, and I'll move the boxes."

"That's not necessary," Rose growled at me.

"My mom would have my hide if she knew I let you ladies move the boxes. Feel free to pack up, though."

"What?" Rose asked confused.

"I was raised to not let a lady carry shit, when I could do it myself," I explained.

"Right, and what would she say about that swearing mouth of yours?"

I might have looked a little ashamed. Mom always told me not to swear in front of ladies, but I had never been called on it by anyone. If Rose told my mom, well shit, it wouldn't be good. "There would be soap involved. I'm sorry, she told me not to swear, either. I just…most people don't care."

Rose was looking at me as if she was trying to figure something out, and then she took a seat next to Alice. "Very well, move the boxes," she said crossing her arms, and then she watched as I lifted a stack of three of them easily and walked out. Yeah, I was pretty sure she was checking out my ass.

When I finally got everything settled in Rose's house, she invited me for tea. I hated tea. It tasted like dirt. Why on earth would someone give someone a cup of dirt to drink, I'd never know. I smiled politely, though, and accepted the invitation. I had a feeling that if I didn't, she'd call my mom and tell on me.

"Mr. Cullen," Rose started, and I had to admit it drove me a little nuts that she refused to call me Emmett. I wasn't my dad. I didn't know why the hell she kept addressing me as if I was.

"Yes, Ms. Hale?" I asked politely.

To my surprise, she smiled. "After your story about your brother and how he ended up in the mental hospital, I was rather skeptical of your strength of character."

I looked at her confused. She'd just seen me move a ton of boxes today. I had plenty of strength.

"I see there's a genuine fear of your mother in your eyes when you were called out on your bad behavior," she informed me. "Has she ever raised a hand to you?"

"What? Ma? No," I said shaking my head. "She didn't need to, she's got this look, and then she says, 'Emmett, I'm so very disappointed in you. I thought I taught you better than that.' Then her eyes get all watery, like she's going to cry. I never met a woman who could rock a guilt trip the way she does."

"Have you heard that speech a lot then?"

I shrugged. "When I was younger, I suppose. I knew Edward had it worse, because I only heard her disappointment. He could hear the shame and guilt she put on herself. If we screwed up, she always put it on herself, thinking she was a bad mom. Edward always made me go apologize and fix it. It usually involved flowers, groveling and community service to get her to feel better, but her moods really affected Edward more than he let on. He did his best to hide it from her. He didn't want her to feel bad about it. He always said it wasn't her fault. Of course, that made me feel like more of a douche for upsetting her and torturing my brother at the same time."

"Is that why you went wild in college?"

I shrugged. "Edward graduated early. As usual, he couldn't stand so many minds jabbering on about shit, I mean stuff. Sorry, Ms. Hale."

She smiled and nodded her head in acceptance of my apology.

"When he was gone and it was just me, I have to admit, I finally felt free and was able to goof off like the kid I always wanted to be. The attention from the girls was just a bonus. When Edward was staying with me, I did my best to lay low and not get involved with anyone. I didn't want to have Edward hear me fantasizing about some chick, you know? So when I was finally free to think and do what I wanted, I did. The stupid thing is, Edward ended up paying for it in the end, anyway. That guy has taken way more hell than his fair share." I looked up to see Rose's skeptical face.

"He was a doctor, a surgeon. Everything he accomplished came into question when I messed up his life." I rubbed my neck nervously. "My brother, he isn't a people person. He doesn't like to be around people, and he definitely doesn't like them touching him. He says it's all fake. He only lets family hug him. He knows we mean it. If you doubt his innocence, don't. There's no way he would've let that nasty little girl come anywhere near him."

"And you, since you admit it was you that was originally charged?" Rose asked.

"No, Ma'am, I didn't even know she was in the hotel, until the day the charges were filed. Cindy, the chick from the bar, she came with me and left with me, and she testified as much. Neither of us saw the little liar. I still don't know what that little bitch was trying to pull, but she ruined my brother's life."

She narrowed her eyes at me, and I realized I had sworn again.

"Sorry about the language, Ms. Hale."

She smiled tightly and nodded. This chick was a handful to deal with, but I had a feeling she would be worth it in the end.

"Well then," she finally spoke, "I think it's time we have someone look into this Tanya girl and go over your case files. We'll need to clear Edward's name, before we bring him home. Since his supposed death, it may actually be easier to do. I'll have to get with my men to see what we can do."

I looked up at her surprised. "You'd help us?"

She gave me a smile. "I'm an advocate of truth, Mr. Cullen, if your brother is innocent, I'll do my best to prove it."

"Thank you, Ms. Hale." I caught that she wasn't taking our word for it, but that didn't matter. I already knew the truth and was glad that she was helping me prove it.

For as cold as Ms. Hale seemed, she was still kind of warm on the inside.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 30 - The Pits**

**EDWARD**

Bella had been especially cranky lately. I wasn't sure if she was having another menstrual cycle or if it was something else. The weather had been hotter and more humid lately. That might have contributed to her crankiness. I knew I wasn't as pleasant as usual. I was feeling a bit short with everyone.

That stupid monkey was lucky he was a fast little bastard, or I would've given him a whooping for messing with me. There was a whole fucking island outside the cave, so why in hell did he have to stay next to me, poking me and throwing shit? At least Polly was backing me up, though I wished she wouldn't call me a chicken.

She was always screeching, "Stop throwing shit!" and "Don't poke the chickens!" when Oliver would mess with me. Since Polly had my back, I was hooking her up with treats. My girl liked fruits and veggies, and I was sick of eating mine, so I didn't mind sharing.

Oliver swung down and poked me in the ear. I flinched away, causing Polly, who was on my shoulder, to grip tight and squawk, "Don't poke the chickens!" She sounded pissed.

Oliver just chattered at her as if he was laughing, and then he threw something at us. God help me, if it was more shit, I was going to lose mine, and we would be one monkey short in the cave.

"Stop throwing shit!" Polly said angrily. She hopped down and started walking after Oliver.

Oliver decided to try and tease Polly, but my bird was awesome and caught the little bastard's hand, biting him good and hard. The little monkey demon started screaming out in pain, and I started laughing. "You get him, Polly. Teach that little bastard a lesson."

Bella came out of our room, looking disheveled and pissed. "What the hell is going on in here?" She looked over at the screaming Oliver. Polly let go of his hand and squawked, "Little bastard!"

Bella's eyes shot over to me, glaring hotly. "You're teaching Polly swear words again?"

"No, it just slipped out! It isn't my fault she only picks up the swearing!"

"You need to stop swearing altogether! Jake is starting to talk. The last thing I want him picking up is swear words!" She looked tired and frustrated.

I wanted to blame the monkey, but I was afraid she might hit me if I did.

"I just got Jake down for his nap. You need to get out of the cave while he's sleeping," she growled.

"But it's hot," I complained, and I think if she could have, she would've shot daggers out of her eyes at me.

"Go to the waterfall!" she snapped.

I noticed she winced when she moved her arms and when she turned away. When she had her back to me, she whimpered a little, as if she was in pain.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to look at something?"

"No, I don't want you looking at anything on me!"

That was another big change that had taken place this past week. She didn't want me anywhere near her. It was discouraging. I wasn't sure what I'd done, but I remained hopeful, because she was still eating her daily regimen of wild yams.

I took the chickens and goats to the open field, and of course, mischievous Oliver followed us. The little brat was looking for trouble. I did notice he was avoiding Polly now. "Good Polly," I said to her smiling, and she just looked up at me. I would have sworn she was smiling back at me, as if we were in cahoots. In a sense, we were. We were both anti-Oliver. It was nice to have someone on my team for a change.

I got them all settled in the field, and the goats were jumping around playfully. The chickens were scratching for bugs, and I settled down with Polly to look at her wing. She didn't flinch when I poked at it, so I started to unwrap it. "How you feeling, pretty Polly? Is your wing doing better?"

I stretched it out, and she didn't flinch. I let her flap, watching for any changes to see if she was in any pain, but she didn't seem to be. Just then, Oliver came over and poked at her, thinking he would get away up in a tree, but she flew up after him, causing me to laugh and egg her on. "You get that little bastard, Polly."

Oliver realized he couldn't get away and started freaking out. He didn't realize Polly could fly, until it was too late. I could tell this was all going to end badly, when Oliver looked in the direction of the cave and took off. He was going to go hide behind Bella. She was the only one that would save his little hairy monkey ass.

I took off running on foot, trying to catch the squawking, screaming bunch, but they were much faster than I was. I reached the cave and found Bella topless, her shirt wrapped around Polly. "Let her go, Bella. He was asking for it. He just didn't realize she could get him back so easily." I took Polly from her and checked her wings, making sure nothing was hurt and unruffled some of her feathers.

"She could have really hurt Ollie!"

"Oh, and catching a bird in a shirt with a weak wing is safe! You could've re-broken it! That little bastard needs to leave her alone!"

"Little Bastard!" Polly squawked. "Don't poke the chickens!"

Ollie screeched at her in return, loading a handful and slinging it.

"Enough!" Bella yelled at the pair. She grabbed Oliver and set him on our bed and then pointed right at Polly, "Out."

When she raised her arm, I noticed that it looked red, raw and puffy underneath. I grabbed her arm that was pointing at Polly, and she tried to jerk away, but I held fast. I lifted her arm and started examining what looked to be a horrible heat rash. "Do you want me to see if I can find something to put on this?" I asked, and she burst into tears, crying loudly. I didn't blame her. I had a minor heat rash under my chin from my damn beard, but it was not nearly as bad as this.

"Maybe you should let the hair grow out, I'm sure shaving is irritating it." Her legs and pits were always bare, so I just assumed Alice had sent something for her to use to shave with. I was just days away from hijacking her trunk and stealing it for myself.

"I can't," she cried.

"Why not?"

"I don't shave. I had laser hair removal done on my legs and underarms last year. It was a present to myself for Christmas and my birthday. I'm not shaving anything, and it hurts to put my arms down." She started crying again.

Well, that explained why she never offered to share her razors. She'd come away with some pretty bad rashes from our make-out sessions, so I would've thought she would want me to get rid of the beard.

"Let me get the first-aid kit and see if I can't find something to help you," I said digging into my trunk. We both had first-aid kits, but they contained different things. Mine had more surgical things and prescription medicines. I had no idea how Alice had gotten them, but I was glad she had, and Bella's first-aid kit was more mom-based, with lots of Band-Aids, disinfectants, a couple of cold packs, and pain relievers. I dug around in mine and didn't find anything. What she really needed was some talcum powder and cool dry air. I had neither.

I pulled out my Alice letter in hopes that she would tell me how to help Bella. What she said surprised me. Apparently, there was talcum on the island. I just had to find the big white rocks and smash them up. That would be easier said than done. Alice had informed me that the talcum rocks were on the far side of the island. We were to put the goats away in the cave with the chickens and only take Jake and Sam with us. For some reason, the other animals would draw too much attention to us, and we would need to stay quiet and hidden on this trip. Of course, she didn't say what we were hiding from, but just to do our best to be inconspicuous. I decided to help Bella by giving her some topical painkiller. She whimpered as I applied it, and then she asked me to rub some under her breasts as well. She had sore red welts where her bra had rubbed, and I suggested she leave her bra off for this trip.

She grabbed a cotton t-shirt and tied it up under her breasts, trying to keep her skin from rubbing. I grabbed the duffle bag and Jake, while Bella hoisted the backpack-like gathering basket she had woven onto her back. I told her Oliver needed to stay, along with Polly, the goats and the chickens. She was nervous about leaving them behind, but I didn't know what would happen if we brought them. I assumed it was something bad, so I told her it was Alice who wanted them to stay, and she conceded easily.

The talcum rocks were on the far side of the island, in a part we had not explored yet. Bella wanted to take the cart, too, but I told her no, that we would come back once we knew it was safe. It was after that she realized something was up, but neither of us knew what it was.

We headed for the opposite side of the island, Bella gathering berries and wild herbs as we went. We had been hiking for a while, when I heard their thoughts. I looked at Bella worried. "Pirates," I whispered.

"What?" she whisper-yelled.

"They're not on the island yet, but they'll be stopping here for a break. They've spotted the island and are changing course. They should arrive in about an hour. We need to hurry."

We started moving faster. We made it to the rock formation about twenty minutes later. At least I hoped it was the right stuff. It was a huge white boulder. I took a big neighboring rock and smashed a chunk off of it. I quickly put it in my duffle bag, and we started back just as the pirates landed. A few of them had been to this island before. They were interested in checking if some of the fruit trees were still here. They weren't sure if they had survived the storm that had come through. They also wanted to catch a goat or a couple of chickens for dinner. They were sick of the shit the cook had been serving.

I was nervous they'd come across our corn field, but I didn't know for sure. We were going to harvest it in a couple more days. I hoped it wasn't all for naught.

I knew we'd be getting rather close to the fruit hunters. The cave wasn't too far from some of the fruit trees. Luckily, they were aware of the mountain lions and planned on avoiding the cave they assumed still housed them. Of course, it only housed us now.

We were almost there, when we heard voices bantering back and forth. I pulled Bella down behind some bushes, and we sat quietly as they walked past.

Jake, however, decided since we were being so quiet, it was his turn to talk. He just squealed, and Bella quickly covered his mouth.

"What was that?" one guy said.

"No' know. Weird sound, come from ober dare," the other guy said. I had no idea what his accent was, but it was definitely not American like the first guy. "You fink itza cats?" he asked.

"You mean the mountain lions?" the other asked.

"Yeah."

"I don't know, I guess it could be a cub, but if there's a cub nearby, the mother isn't far. We better keep moving," he said, and they hurried away from the bush, thank God. Once I could tell their minds were occupied enough with picking fruit, I rushed Bella back to the cave and made sure the fire was out. I didn't want to risk someone coming to see what was going on. There was some old brush from the fallen trees next to the cave entrance, so once Bella, Jake and Sam where inside, I pulled them to cover the entrance and hid inside the cave with them. I hoped to god that they wouldn't find us. There was no way I could fight off a ship full of men, and I didn't even want to consider what they'd do to Bella if they got their hands on her.

**ROSE**

I had been a victim's advocate for the past couple of years as part of my internship. I was only a year away from getting my doctorate in psychology. When Emmett told me he'd been accused of rape, I'd admit, I had to fight off a panic attack. When he spoke of how his brother had stepped in to try and save him, the sincerity and love this man had for his brother shined through.

The truth was always something I sought after. The liars who made it harder to convict the guilty pissed me off. If this girl was lying, she would be sorry once I was done with her. I had a way of just knowing whether a woman had been assaulted or not, and I would find out who was telling the truth. It was bitches who lied, crying wolf against innocent men, that caused real criminals to get away.

I stood outside my office door, taking a deep breath. My stomach had been in knots all day, anxious to meet with this girl. I'd know in a moment whether Emmett and his brother were rapists, and I really hoped to God that they weren't.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 31 – Witches and Doctors**

**BELLA**

We sat in subsequent darkness. There was very little light from the overhead hole, and Edward had blocked off the main entrance. It was late in the evening, so it was by candlelight that he took out the large white rock and started breaking it down.

It was difficult to get everyone settled that night for bed. They could feel the worry radiating off of the both of us, and so everyone was being more clingy than usual. Edward told me to take off my shirt and lay with my hands over my head, so the irritated skin could have some open air and have a break from rubbing. I had to admit he was right. I didn't hurt as much in that position, but I felt a little odd with my breasts exposed, just lying there.

The irritated skin beneath them was enjoying the open air too much for me to cover them, though. Thank god Edward was a doctor and could look at this situation objectively. I mean seriously, my body looked all red, puffy and gross with the heat rash welts in all the wrong places. The stress of the pirates being nearby didn't help, either. It was just sucking all around.

I felt the air heat up when Edward entered the room. He had a cup in his hand and some rags. He set them next to the bed and walked out. He came back in with a pot of water.

"I used the coals to warm it up a little, but I'm afraid it didn't work very well," he apologized sitting down next to me. "I'm going to wipe down the affected areas, and then I'll dry them off and give them some time to air dry, before I dust you with the talcum powder I made. Hopefully, this works for you."

I just nodded in agreement, not sure what to say. I felt like an idiot needing a sponge bath, but it wasn't as if I could go out and shower in the waterfall with the pirates running around. He dipped the rag in the water and rung it out. His worried eyes met mine. "This will probably be uncomfortable. I'm sorry."

He was right, but he was gentle, and it didn't hurt as much as it could have. He kept his eye on me and dabbed lightly. I tried to hide my grimace, but the flinching gave me away. His face seemed to be just as twisted in pain as mine was. I knew when he finished, because he let out a sigh of relief. He took the dry rag and dabbed me gently, once again carefully watching my reactions. When he was finished, he let out a deep breath. "Okay, now we just wait and make sure you're completely dry, so I can gently dust your skin. It should help with the irritation. Honestly, I know this is going to sound perverted or something, but it'd be best if you went topless or maybe used some of Jake's diapers. They have a better absorption rate than your regular cotton shirt."

Great, basically I was too sweaty. Way to make a girl feel beautiful.

**EDWARD**

She just lay there whimpering under my touch. I tried so hard to be gentle, but she was still whimpering. I wished I could kiss it all and make it better. I dusted my fingers and lightly ran them over her underarms. I didn't take into account that this may tickle her, and she started squirming and giggling.

I looked up at her and smiled. It was impossible not to smile when she giggled, even when it was often at my expense, but now I was just happy to hear it. It had been almost a week since she'd laughed, and I missed it. She must've been in a lot of pain.

I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "It's good to see you smile."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She must have caught my quizzical look because she sighed. "I know I've been difficult."

I kissed her shoulder. "Next time, don't wait so long. I could've fixed this sooner," I said tracing some powder under her breasts. A soft moan escaped her lips, and I wasn't sure if it was from pain or pleasure, so I decided to kiss her breast softly, either to "kiss it better" or, well, make her moan my name and beg for more. Thankfully, it was the latter.

Her fingers wove into my hair, but I pulled them free. "Ah, ah, ah, arms up, keep your hands over your head, pretty girl, and let the magic powder do its job."

"Magic powder; are you my witch doctor now?"

"Oh, yeah," I nibbled her neck, "And I have a few other treatments that will lift your spirit and make the island gods very happy."

"Island gods?"

"Mmm hmm, they want me to sacrifice a virgin. Do you know where I could get one of those?" I asked, teasing her nipple.

Her hand was back in my hair as she moaned my name. God, I loved that.

I smiled, looking up at her. "Well?" I asked, still waiting for her answer.

"Not for long," she whispered, wrapping her legs around my torso.

"Hands up," I scolded playfully, holding them over her head. I kissed her lips softly. "Now be a good girl, or I won't let you be my virgin sacrifice."

"And what exactly happens to the virgin sacrifice?" she asked smiling, but I could tell she was a little nervous.

"First, I feast on virgin melons." I kissed down her neck, back to her breasts, and rolled her pebbled nipples on my tongue. Her response had me hard as a rock. "Then, I drink the sweet virgin juice," I said kissing down her belly and nipped at her center through her sleep shorts. "Once I'm engorged on the sweet virgin juice, I impale her." I slid up and thrust my hard cock at her center, causing her to buck up against me. "And once she's screamed my name to the heavens, the sacrifice is complete," I said smirking down at her.

Naughty girl reached down and pulled me against her.

"Hands up," I warned. "Don't make me restrain you," I glared teasingly, and she gave me a pout.

I took a little more powder and recovered her underarms again. "Now, keep them up, little girl, or I'll have to spank you."

"Oh, spankings, how many fantasies do you plan on playing out?"

"None tonight," I said kissing her lips softly, and she pouted at me. "I want you to be able to touch me in return, and right now, you're stuck with your hands up, really limiting our lovemaking positions."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "How many do you know?"

I shrugged. "I'm a doctor, I know all the ways a body can bend, but not all of them are romantic enough to be a first time," I said kissing her cheek.

She looked over at me and gave me a soft smile. "So, um, would you mind being a witchdoctor for our first time? I kinda liked that," she said timidly.

I looked at her in shock, and then my grin split my face. I kissed her lips deeply, "You'll definitely be my virgin sacrifice."

**ROSE**

When I opened the door, I was surprised at what I saw. The little fourteen-year-old was now an overdeveloped and over-made-up seventeen-year-old. She sat there looking bored and popping her gum, definitely not acting like someone who had been living with the aftermath of a brutal attack. When I looked at my records, I could see she would be eighteen in a few months. Those poor boys had suffered long enough at the hands of this manipulative child.

I took my seat, not looking her in the eyes. I didn't need to. The way she sat defensively, with her arms crossed all annoyed, told me all I needed to know. I decided to do my best to help the boys.

"Hello, Ms. Denali, thank you so much for coming in today. Do you mind if I record our session?" She shrugged. "I'll take that as a no." I clicked on the recorder. "So, you don't seem pleased to be here, you do realize I'm a victim's advocate, right? I'm here to help you through your ordeal."

"I don't need any help, I'm fine," she said flatly.

"Really, I would've thought your rapist only going to a mental health facility instead of prison would be upsetting for you."

She shrugged. "It was a long time ago."

"Tanya, may I call you Tanya?" I asked sweetly.

"Sure."

"Have you confronted your attacker or attackers? It says here there was a pair of brothers involved in this case?"

She let out a huff. "Look, I'd really rather not rehash this crap, so can I just go?"

"Do you still find it difficult to discuss?"

"No, it's not a real issue."

"You realize I'm bound not to divulge anything you say in this meeting. Is there something bothering you? Something you want to get off your chest or talk about? It can be anything. It doesn't have to be about the attack."

"You know what? I do want to talk about something, but not the rape thingy. The dude was deemed nuts anyways, so I did the world a favor."

"And what favor would that be." I composed myself enough to look up at her.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't even get what I wanted. I needed some money. I figured I could use it to run away, maybe get myself a car and some nice clothes. I was gonna buy a condo on the beach in California. I didn't realize my parents would be the ones in control of it. The money hungry jackasses put a few thousand in a stupid college savings account and used the rest to supposedly 'better my life.' That was so bullshit. My dad's new sports car that I've never ridden in did nothing to better my life."

"So they stole the money from your settlement?"

"Yes, and because I'm a minor, there's not a damn thing I can do about it! When I turn eighteen, I'm gonna sue their asses. I've already got my lawyer lined up. He's the guy that helped me fuck that doctor dude over."

"The man accused of your rape?"

"Yeah, he's in the nut house. It's not like he was gonna use his money anyways. He didn't have nearly as much as I expected, though. It sucked."

"So you weren't raped. You just needed a way to escape your parents? They sound like an obnoxious pair. Have you ever thought of reporting them to CPS? Is that something you'd like to do?" I had to play like I was on her side to keep her talking.

"Nah, I'm almost eighteen, and my lawyer, Alec, says that I'll be able to get more from them if I'm seen as mature and able to take care of myself. I don't want to look weak by falling back on CPS."

"You're probably right. It's always best to do as your lawyer says."

"Yeah, he's always looked out for me. When I was starting to feel a little guilty about setting that guy up, he found a way to fix it. The dude was a freak anyways. He kept saying he could read minds. Talk about crazy. Alec said some guy approached him and suggest that he be put in the nut house instead of jail, and that fixed everything. I didn't feel guilty anymore. I was actually doing the world a favor, and I had my money. That is until my fucking parents got a hold of it, but Alec said he'd fix that for me, too, and get me more money on top of that. Awesome, right? You know, he's kind of hot for an older dude. Ten years age difference isn't huge, and he's loaded. I could fuck him. I think he's into me."

"He'd be lucky to get you. I wish you the best of luck with him. Our time is up. Would you like to reschedule another visit?"

"Nah, I've got my hands full with the lawsuit and all. Thanks for the chat. I do feel better."

"Anytime."

I'd heard of crooked lawyers, but Alec Volturi sounded worse than your average scum. I had looked over the boys' court cases. They both had the same judge, and I wondered if he was dirty as well. I had my work cut out for me.

I wrote the judge and suggested that the case should be reopened, because Attorney Alec Volturi's practice was in question.

I was more than a little annoyed when the judge replied.

"_Mr. Edward Cullen is now deceased, this case should remain closed."_

I wanted to beat this judge with my cane.

I replied: "_His family is not, nor is the shame they still have to endure because of this miscarriage of justice. Take another look at this case and the evidence. It is obvious to me that a mistake was made. Alec Volturi should not be practicing law."_

Again, his response was infuriating.

"_Edward Cullen was deemed mentally unstable. He was sent to a mental health facility, not to prison, and is now deceased. Drop this case, before I have to take further action against you, Ms. Hale."_

That set me off.

I slammed my fist down and snatched up my phone. "Demetri, get me the car, we're going to the courthouse. It's time this judge and crooked lawyer had their dirty laundry aired out. I need files on every case that Judge Caius and Alec Volturi were a part of. I have a feeling he's been paired up with Judge Caius on more than one occasion."

They had no idea who they were messing with.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 32 – Judgment**

**ROSE**

I pulled up the calendar of rulings and charges from Judge Caius' court. I had found that every time Alec Volturi had been paired with Judge Caius, a guilty verdict had been found, and it usually involved a huge settlement, much large than your average compensation. I was surprised their activities hadn't been called into question before.

I took home eight boxes of files that night, flagging all of the ones that involved excessive settlements. There were a few that had obviously been misruled. I red flagged those for sure, as they definitely needed to be addressed first.

In the end, after looking back on five years of rulings, only a third of Judge Caius' eight hundred cases looked legit. I also noticed that the other two-thirds of mishandled cases all involved someone from the Volturi law group or their affiliates.

Basically, it looked like someone had bought off our judge and hung our boys out to dry. This was going to be a tough case to prove. I needed the help of a clean judge. I needed another benchwarmer to look over my findings and back me up. Otherwise, I'd just look like a crazy person stirring up trouble.

I called Demetri in and asked him to get the financials and spending habits of Judge Caius confirmed for me. I wanted any new properties recorded, such as new cars, houses, sudden vacations, jewelry for his wife, etc. I wanted to know when it all was purchased. I told him he would only have to look back a little more than five years to be able to find the differences. I gave him the approximate date it appeared the Judge went dirty and sent him off. If anyone could find dirt on a person, it'd be Demetri.

It was time to call a friend in to help.

The phone rang three times before Margaret answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Margaret, it's Rosalie Hale." Margaret and I had met in physical therapy. She really encouraged me to not give up when I learned that my scars would never go away. There were other ways to be a force to be reckoned with as a woman, and it didn't need to include beauty. We became close friends during that time, and we'd kept in touch ever since. She became my role model and the reason I fought for the truth.

"Oh, honey, how are you doing? You sound upset. Is everything alright?" she asked worried.

"I'm fine, but I've been doing some digging, and I don't like what I'm finding."

"Well, what are you digging for, dear?"

"I had a girl named Tanya Denali come in. She was supposed to have been raped at the age of fourteen, at a hotel her family owned and where she lived, by a Dr. Edward Cullen."

"Oh, that must have been devastating for her."

"One would think, but she wasn't raped. She admitted to me that she'd lied and accused Dr. Cullen, so she could obtain a large settlement. There was a very dirty lawyer involved, Alec Volturi. I have a feeling he was involved in several mishandled cases, and I'm almost positive the judge who handled the case was in on the scam, because when I brought the miscarriage of justice to his attention, he told me to drop it or he'd come after me."

"Tell me, who is this bastard that dared tangle with _the_ Ms. Rosalie Hale?"

"Judge Caius."

Margaret groaned. "He's a slimy bastard. What do you want me to do?"

"Well, he pissed me off, so I grabbed his case files for the past five years and ran down them. Only one third of them seemed clean. I know this is a serious accusation, but I think he's been bought. I've sifted through all of his rulings, and not only has he convicted innocent people, but he awarded excessive settlements that were outrageous. I suspect he got a cut for his rulings in favor of the Volturi firm's clients. I have the files all marked and highlighted. Would you like to see them?"

"Five years, that has to be quite a stack."

"It is, and I sent Demetri out looking at his financials. The money would have to show up somewhere."

"We're going to need more help. You mind if I bring in a few people?"

"Only if you're sure you can trust them."

Margaret let out a tired sigh. "We've got a mess of work ahead of us, don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

"Well, I've got your back. I'm going to talk to Judge Mason and Judge Talbot. Both are honest judges and good friends. I think the three of us should look over Judge Caius' rulings together. If we go after Caius alone, they'll try and paint us as man-haters, but if we get Mason and Talbot on our side, they'll have nothing on us."

"Thank you, Margaret. I knew I could count on you."

"Honestly, honey, it's you that we're counting on. It's people like you that really do keep the city safe."

"Thank you, that really means a lot to me."

"I'll see you tomorrow, plan on lunch at your house with a few guests. We'll want to see these stacks of misjudgments."

The next morning, I had my maid, Denise, prepare a large lunch. I knew Margaret wouldn't let me down and would bring help.

What I didn't count on was Emmett Cullen showing up.

I was sitting in the presence of three judges, a district attorney and two lawyers. They had split the piles, the judges taking the guilty judgments and the lawyers taking the innocent. They were all combing through the files, most of them with disgusted looks on their faces. I knew they were all seeing what I had seen.

I was expecting Demetri back anytime now, so I was surprised when Emmett stood nervously in the doorway.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Ms. Hale, but Alice wanted me to come help hang some pictures."

"Who is this gentleman, Rosalie?" Margaret inquired smiling.

"This is Emmett Cullen. His brother was wrongfully convicted and sent to a mental institution. The file is in there."

"Can you give it to me?" Margaret asked. I quickly pulled it out, and she started reading it out loud to the other judges. "Rosalie, you realize this man here was accused of rape."

Emmett blushed bashfully, looking at his shoes.

"Well, from what I know of him, I doubt he would do such a thing, not to mention that his brother was also sure of his innocence. Emmett had checked into the hotel room with another woman that night and discarded a used condom in the trash bin that Tanya Denali later emptied as part of her job cleaning the room."

It didn't go unnoticed that Emmett flinched when I said the word condom. "Emmett, do you find the word condom offensive?"

His eyes popped wide, as did his mouth, and then he looked at the judges and me. "I'm sorry, I mean, I didn't…it's just…" He let out a huff. He looked up at us timidly, "That's kind of a private word, you know, that's only used in privacy, with someone you…ah..." He scratched the back of his neck. "It was just surprising to hear you say it so casually."

"Mr. Cullen, does the word vagina offend you as well?" Margaret asked, and Emmett visibly flinched.

Judge Talbot started chuckling. "How about penis, you have one of those, don't you?"

Emmett's face twisted up in displeasure.

"Alright, enough tormenting the poor boy, go ahead and help my sister with her picture hanging," I said dismissing him.

He gave us all a little nod and thanked me, before he hurried out of the room.

"You're letting an accused rapist hang pictures with your sister?" Judge Mason asked.

"I interviewed the supposed victim, Tanya Denali, and she outright admitted that she lied about the rape and was only looking for a financial settlement, one over which she's upset that her parent took and plans on suing them for as soon as she turns eighteen in a couple of months."

"Ah, so you're the nosy little bitch getting into other people's business," an angry voice snapped behind us.

We all looked at the doorway to see a uniformed officer.

"Carson?" the female lawyer asked confused. "What are you doing here in Ms. Hale's home?"

"Shut up, Stacey, or you're going to be first to go," he said pulling his gun from his belt. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone could you, Ms. Hale?" he said raising his gun, pointing it right at me. I was silently praying that Demetri would get home fast. I had to keep Officer Carson talking if we were going to make it.

"If you're talking about Judge Caius' cases, I would call them anything but well enough. I wouldn't even call what he did half-assed."

Carson smirked at me. "I heard you were a fiery one. I was told I should bring you back to Mr. Volturi for entertainment."

I stood slowly, leaning hard on my cane, playing up my injuries, so I'd seem like less of a threat. "So, Officer Carson, tell me, what made you turn dirty?"

"Who said I was dirty? From where I'm standing, you're the dirty ones. You're the ones planting evidence in the files and bringing up false charges," he said smirking.

"We both know that's not the case."

He looked me up and down, making my skin crawl. "Maybe Mr. Volturi will let me have a turn with you. It looks like you were pretty once," he said stepping forward to touch my face. I stood still, because I wanted that bastard closer.

Once he touched my cheek, I gave him a knowing smile. I whipped my face away from his hand and stabbed the end of my taser-tipped cane into his foot. The jolt sent him tumbling to the ground, and I gave him another shock in the cheek for good measure. "Keep your filthy hands to yourself!"

"Ms. Hale," Emmett called as he rushed down the stairs. "Are you alright?" he asked looking down at the officer on the floor.

"Yes, would you please find his cuffs and restrain him, while we find a clean cop to turn him in to."

Emmett looked up at the judges, and they seemed to be nodding in agreement with me, so he moved quickly. Officer Carson was starting to come to by the time Emmett clicked the final lock. He was smart and took Carson's utility belt and emptied his pockets, just in case he had a spare handcuff key. Emmett was right to do it, because he found three spare keys on Carson and set his belongings in front of the judges.

Our investigation was proving to be much more dangerous than we'd originally thought.

**EDWARD**

I was sleeping with Bella next to me. She was stretched out topless beside me, and it was all I could do to keep myself under control. Her little budding nipples were teasing me, and I just wanted to taste them a little. I wanted to feel the little buds in my mouth and roll them against my tongue.

I smacked myself in the face, trying to get myself to stop looking at them. She was fast asleep and needed her rest. I lightly powdered her flesh once more; trying to convince myself I wasn't touching her because I was a sick bastard, but because she actually needed medical attention. Yeah, that was it, medical attention.

I might have gotten a little lost in what I was doing and nuzzled her breast a little. In my defense, she didn't seem to mind.

I pulled myself away from her and headed into the main cavern. It was pitch black, but I had become very familiar with the cave and made my way to the covered entrance. I listened to the pirates' minds for a while. Most were settled down for bed. Only a couple remained awake, but they were on the far side of the island, which was good, because I really needed a cold shower right now.

I made my way by moonlight to the falls and stripped down. I was thankful for the icy shower that was not only effective in getting rid of my erection, but also in cooling me on a hot humid evening. I checked on Jake's mind and the pirates' minds as I showered, making sure they stayed a good distance from the cave. I didn't want anyone disturbing my family.

My family.

I smirked at my twisted mind. I was crazy if I thought they were mine. Bella was sweet, but still not my wife, and Jacob would never be my son, no matter how badly I wished it. Once we returned to civilization, it would all be ripped away from me. I would lose it all.

I sat down on a rock and rested my head in my hands. I'd lose them once we were rescued. I'd lose them and be forced to return to that so-called mental hospital.

I looked up at the sky and wondered if Bella would mind if I stayed here on my own. She wouldn't be able to bring me cookies, but I just couldn't stand going back to that place. Of course, living here alone on the island wouldn't be the same without them.

My pitiful thoughts were interrupted by screaming. It took a minute for me to realize that the screaming wasn't within earshot, just in the pirates' minds. Apparently, the pirates that were awake had found the male mountain lion, and he was not pleased to be woken up. In fact, he was downright pissed.

The screaming in my mind was hurting my head so much that I grabbed my clothes and ran to the cave. I threw on my boxers and snuggled tightly next to Bella, trying to drown out the screaming by listening to her breathing, but it was hard to hear over the painful cries for help.

"Edward, honey, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare? Why are you so cold and wet?" she asked running her hand through my wet hair. "Honey, please, speak to me."

"The pirates," I mumbled out.

"Are they coming?" she asked worried.

I shook my head no. "The mountain lion found them. They're..." I couldn't finish. I just gripped my head, wishing it would stop.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," she said wrapping her arms tightly around me. She kissed my temple and started to sing. The screaming was still too loud in my head to make out the song, but I tried to focus on her voice, and finally, it warped from a hum to words I could understand.

The screaming finally stopped. Three pirates were dead and two were injured badly. One I was sure would die in the next few hours without medical attention. They weren't voicing their pains verbally, but their pain was voiced mentally.

"Is it over?" she asked me softly.

I shook my head no, "Some of them are hurt, and they're still very loud." I let out a sigh. "One is dying a slow, painful death. It's horrible to listen to."

"Can you save them?"

I looked at her as if she was nuts. We barely had enough medical supplies for ourselves, and here she wanted to use them on the likes of a pirate who would just as soon rape her or sell her and Jake into slavery.

"It'll stop in time. He doesn't have much longer."

"But can you save him?" She looked at me with those innocent doe eyes. My Bella, my girl with a death wish, who was always charging head first into danger, I couldn't lie to her.

"Yes, I can save them. I can fix them and stop the pain."

She sat up and nodded her head at me as if something was decided. She passed me my pants and my shirt. I looked at her as if she was insane.

"Bella, they can't know you're here."

"They won't," she said defiantly. "You're here alone on the island, and you want to stay here, because you're wanted in the states. Let them know you were once a doctor, you heard the screaming, and you came as fast as you could. They'll check out your doctor's bag and see you're what you say you are, and then you'll save their shipmates, making new friends. If they offer you anything in payment, please ask for toilet paper."

I laughed a little at her plea for toilet paper. I had to admit, I did miss that stuff. I scratched my furry chin, "And maybe a razor to get rid of this?"

She smiled, kissing my nose. "Whatever you want, doc, just be careful," she said kissing my lips softly. "I'll be waiting for you. Take your recorder and check in on us. Play it so I'll know you're okay."

The dying man screamed in my mind again as someone tried to help him. I flinched at the sound of his pain.

"Go!"

I kissed Bella quickly and hurried out into the night. I would go and do what I could, but as I ran, I begged God to keep my family safe, praying the whole way that he was listening.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	33. Chapter 33

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen.**

**Chapter 33 - The Doctor Will See You Now**

**EDWARD**

I moved quickly through the bush, knowing I didn't have much time left if I was really going to do this, if I was really going to save these guys.

I heard someone yell, "Who goes there?" and several knives being drawn. They were afraid it was another mountain lion.

"I'm Dr. Cullen. I heard some shouting. Is someone in need of medical assistance?"

Some of the men were relieved and some were skeptical.

I walked into the camp, holding my hands above my head, with my black doctor's bag in my hand. One of the men rushed forward and opened it quickly. He was truly hoping I was what I said I was, because it was his friend who was hurt the worst. He sighed in relief when he pulled out my stethoscope.

He held it up. "It's just doctor shit, he's a doctor."

"I'm sorry, I don't have a lot with me," I said. They all thought I was very unkempt. It was then I realized most of them looked like they were hygienic.

"Where you from, doc?" another asked me.

"I've been from here for the past five months. My plane crashed off the coast not too far from here."

"Iz heared about dat. You maked it out?"

"Um, yes." I didn't want to talk about myself. "We should look at your friend," I said to the man holding my bag. "Do you have any other supplies, disinfectants, and sterile gloves I could use?" I asked.

"Chauncey!" another man shouted. "Bring da kit! Weez got cha real doc here!"

A small woman jumped off the boat, carrying a case that was nearly the size of her. She looked at me playing innocent, but her thoughts were anything but. She didn't approach me until two large men were in step with her.

I realized then that one of the men next to her was her brother, and she thought he was overbearing and annoying.

"Hello, Chauncey, I'm Dr. Cullen. I'm a surgeon, when I'm not vacationing on deserted islands," I said trying to lighten the mood as I opened the case. I smiled in relief when I saw sterile gloves, sutures, clamps, syringes, and saline.

"Do you know how to start an I-V, Chauncey?" She nodded, her mind filled with medical knowledge. She had attended school to be a medical assistant. I passed her what she would need. "Could you start one on that gentleman there?" I pointed to the one dying slowly. His insides were all exposed. The cat had done quite a number on him, but luckily for him, his ribs had held up, protecting his heart and lungs.

"I'm going to need some boiling water, lots of it. I'll need to clean out his wounds. Also, I need a tray to set my tools on. He's losing a lot of blood, so I'm going to need to work quickly."

I noticed the men all looked to their captain, and he shouted for them to get a move on. He thought most of his crew was stupid, but their ignorance made them easy to control. He held a stern exterior, but I could tell by his thoughts that he was truly worried about his men.

One man came running toward me with a tray, and another came behind him with a large tea kettle. I slipped my gloves on and poked my finger in the water. It was cooling fast and that was just what I needed. I pulled the clamps out of my bag and the ones out of their kit and set them out on the tray, and then I grabbed the sutures.

"Okay, tip him on his side so the water will run out. We don't have a suction machine." Chauncey's brother and the other man rolled him to his side. "Okay, Chauncey, can you pour the water over his wounds, so I can see where the clamps need to go?"

She nodded her head yes and took the tea kettle, and I picked up the clamps. "Go," I said and she started pouring. I quickly clamped up the larger wounds and some of the smaller ones using all of my clamps, and then I started right away stitching him up as fast as I could.

Once the water was drained and the immediate bleeding was stopped, I had them tip him back onto his back. "I need to make sure I'm not missing anything. I looked him over and then quickly stitched up two more lacerations I had missed.

I worked meticulously on his stomach and had to dispose of a portion of his liver that was too badly damage and a kidney that was beyond repair. There was very little flesh left on his stomach, but I stitched what I could back together, still leaving a hole about the size of my fist.

"He could use a skin and tissue transplant, but…" I shook my head. I quickly wrapped him up. "He's going to need another bag of IV fluid after that one is done. He needs the fluid to help replace the blood he lost. He should only have liquids for a while and no alcohol anymore for the rest of his life. I had to remove part of his liver and a kidney. His body won't be able to process it anymore. I'll give you a prescription for antibiotics. He really needs them. This is not a sterile operating environment. You'll need to get him to a hospital as soon as you can if at all possible."

I pulled off my gloves and wiped my forehead. "So, who's next?"

I was surprised by the line that formed in front of me.

I stitched up the other two guys who had also been attacked by the mountain lion and pulled out a prescription pad for their prescriptions. Alice must have seen this, because there was no other reason for it to be in my bag.

The captain invited me to his quarters, and I was able to hold a makeshift clinic. I wrote out several more prescriptions for everything from athlete's foot to swimmer's ear. One man had a severe eye infection, and I made sure Chauncey understood that this man's prescription was an injection and needed to be given in his hip. He was also supposed to take antibiotics afterward as well as eye drops, and hopefully that would save his eye. I also gave a couple of prescriptions for STD's and reminded them of the importance of safe sex. I got a laugh at that one.

The captain walked in, and Chauncey seemed to want to hide, she suspected he'd figured out that she'd been cheating on him. She wanted to hide behind me. In fact, that was exactly what she was thinking.

The captain looked at the girl with disdain. He didn't like having a girl on his ship, because it caused discord with his men.

"Chauncey has a list of the prescriptions I gave out and their doses, as well as the men, so she can help make sure they're taken correctly. It's of vital importance that you get the medicine for the men that were attacked. Large cats carry all manner of bacteria."

He put his hand up to stop me from talking. He looked over at Chauncey, and his glare caused her to run out of the room.

"Dr. Cullen, if that's your real name, I understand the need for medication is urgent. What I want to know is what you expect in return?" he asked, thinking he didn't have enough supplies to take on another man and was sadly a little relieved when some of the men had died.

"Um, a razor?" I asked rubbing my beard, "And maybe a package of toilet paper if you can spare it."

His eyes sparkled with amusement and relief as he let out a laugh. "You don't want to go home?"

I shook my head no. "I kind of like it here. It's peaceful."

He looked at me suspiciously, he knew for damn sure there was more to my story. "Are there others with you?"

I knew these men were pirates, but we were alone, and the captain had no intentions of bothering the group I was with as part of my payment for my services. "There's a girl and a baby boy that survived the crash as well. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell the others in your crew of them."

He nodded in agreement. "Then why tell me?"

I didn't have a good answer for that. "You should know what you're dealing with when you come to the island. It's best if there are no surprises for either of us."

He nodded in agreement, he thought it sounded reasonable, but was still suspicious of my intentions. "I don't think I could give them safe passage."

"I know, that's why I didn't ask for it, but we'd be very grateful for some toilet paper and maybe some talcum powder if you have some to spare."

He walked over to his private bathroom and pulled out a six-pack of toilet paper and a small bottle of talcum powder. He also passed me a straight razor and a sharpening belt. "You should be able to use it longer than one of these," he held up a disposable razor. "This one you can sharpen." He was sad to see it go. It had come with the ship, and he found it an amusing piece of its history.

I thanked him and put them in my bag. "It's greatly appreciated."

"You're welcome, Dr. Cullen."

"Edward, my name is Dr. Edward Cullen, but you can call me Edward, Captain."

He smiled at me. "Edward, would it be alright if we come back for checkups?"

"Yes, of course. It'd be helpful if you could pick up more medical supplies. I can't really do much other than diagnose at this point, and even then I can't do blood tests, ultrasounds or x-rays."

The captain looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I feel a little inadequate without my tools of the trade, but if you can't see another doctor, then yes, please come back, so I can check up on everyone's progress," I said sincerely.

He smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

"Captain, can I ask one more favor?"

He looked at me nervously. "You can ask."

"Could you contact my brother? I suppose you're most likely going to take these supplies without paying, which I completely understand. The medicines are vital for the survival of your crew, and it isn't likely you have a healthcare plan," I said joking.

He only barely cracked a smile.

"If you give my brother a message that the place you get your medicines from needs a donation from the Cullen Foundation to replace what's been taken, I'd greatly appreciate it."

His eyes narrowed at me, he thought I was setting him up. "So you're saying you want to pay for our medicines as well?"

"As I said, it's vital for your crew to live. You have to get these medicines for them to survive. At the same time, I don't want anyone else going without. My brother was the beneficiary of my estate. Just tell him Alice will agree that the donation should be made."

"Is Alice your wife?"

"No, she's just a friend and a close confidant of my brother. They both know I'm alive and will come for me when the time is right."

"They know you're here and are just leaving you hanging?"

"It's more complicated than that. I can't just go walking back to the states. I'm kind of a wanted man."

"What crime did you commit?"

"I'm innocent."

He smiled. "Aren't we all?"

I just laughed. "So, will you get a message to my brother for me?"

"Sure, does your girl want to send a message as well?" he asked. He really planned on delivering the messages.

"Yeah, she might. I know she's missing her dad very much." I noticed his eyes soften, and his thoughts turned to a little dark-haired girl hugging him. There was something heartbreaking behind it.

"Just get the letters to me personally by daybreak, and I'll make sure they get to where they're supposed to be."

"Thank you," I said shaking his hand gratefully.

"No, thank you. You really saved us out there."

I just nodded my head, hoping he was right. If they didn't get the medicines fast, though, my work would have all been for naught.

**A/N: So the pirates aren't as bad as he thought. Thank heavens! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta queen!**

**Chapter 34 – Letters**

**EDWARD**

I snuggled into Bella's side, bringing her sleeping form against me. I smiled when I saw she had the toilet paperI'd brought back to her wrapped in her arms. I kissed the back of her neck, and she stirred a little, whispering my name, but didn't wake. I loved that she was dreaming of me.

Writing the letters to our families had brought forth how real things still were on the outside. We had been in our own little bubble here on the island, but the pirates had popped it. The fact that, at some point, we'd be going home was becoming very real. I looked at the sweet innocent girl lying in my arms, and I realized that I loved her, but I couldn't drag her into the insanity that was my life. I couldn't force her to deal with the crap that'd had me trapped in an insane asylum. It just wasn't fair to her.

I snuggled closer, holding her tighter, realizing what I had to do. I planned on staying, but I would send her back to civilization with Jacob, so they could be with their families. I didn't think I would be able to survive another stay in the crazy house. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't handle people looking at me with disgust, thinking I had done something so horrible. I just couldn't make her go through that with me.

With this realization, I knew that I couldn't move our physical relationship any further. She was a virgin, and I couldn't make her first time be a sad memory. I wanted it to be something beautiful that she would always remember with someone she loved. That was what a first time should always be. I hoped she would still hold me and love me like she had been doing for the past month, but I'd understand if she became withdrawn after I told her that I wasn't going back. I just couldn't do it.

She rolled over, draping her arm and leg over me and squishing the toilet paper between us. I couldn't help but smile at her, so sweet, so beautiful in my arms. I had hoped she would be in my arms forever. I was just sorry, now that I realized it couldn't be.

I woke up late into the next day to Jacob climbing over me and patting my face. "Up! Up!" he said. I gave him a tickle attack for disturbing my sleep and carried him out to find Bella milking the goat.

I leaned down and kissed her head. "Morning, beautiful," I said.

She chuckled, "Afternoon, sleepyhead. I figured after the night you had, working and running back and forth delivering our letters to the captain, you could use the rest."

Polly flew down from the tree onto my shoulder. I saw Oliver eyeing warily her and smirked. That's right, monkey boy, you stay away from us, you little shit slinger.

I had been tired, but I was excited to be able to contact Emmett and let him know for certain that we really were alive. I'd spent a good bit of the night making sure the badly injured men were stabilized, before running back to the cave to compose my letter to Emmett and have Bella write hers to her dad. I was grateful to Captain Tagger for offering to deliver the letters, and I just hoped Bella's father didn't figure out where we were and charter a boat just so he could come find us and shoot my ass, before my innocence could be proven.

That would be just my luck.

**CAPTAIN TAGGER**

Neither letter given to me was sealed.

I tried to resist and give them some semblance of privacy, but the letter to the girl's father seemed to call to me in a way that made my heart ache. I despised aching and took it out on my crew. They knew something was wrong, but no one dared ask, for fear they'd be thrown overboard.

I fingered the letter to Charles Swan once more and finally gave in. The first word on the paper made the aching in my heart throb.

Daddy.

I pressed on and continued to read.

"_Daddy,_

_I know you think this is some sort of trick, especially since the letter is being delivered by what I am guessing is a shady-looking man, but I promise you it really is me. I haven't met the man that is delivering the letter, because Edward wanted to keep me a secret from the pirates that landed on the island._

_That's right, Daddy, I'm alive and living on an island. I know, hard to believe. It has been one wild experience, but Edward is keeping me safe. He looks out for me, and luckily, he's a doctor, so he can fix anything I break with my Bella Swan grace._

_God, Daddy, I miss you so much. My birthday just passed not too long ago. Edward celebrated with me, but he noticed I was sad. I missed you and that stupid diner I used to despise. When I get back, we are going there. At this point, diner food sounds freaking amazing!_

_Just so you know, I am never making those coconut macaroons you like so much again. I've had enough coconut and bananas to last me a hundred lifetimes. If I never see another banana or coconut for the rest of my life, that will be fine with me._

_Just be ready to take some time off when I get back. You, me and lots of Little Debbie snacks. God, I miss those. We are going to sit around eating those and pizza all week. We can go fishing, but just keep in mind I really don't want to eat fish. We eat that almost daily, and I know we did at home, too, which I am thankful for. You taught me so many ways to prepare fish it really has been a life saver here. You would be proud of me. I do all the fishing. That's right, I'm living out your dream, and I fish every day, Dad. See, I knew you would be jealous. God, I miss you._

_Just know I am fine and well taken care of, even though I am stuck on this damn island. It is better than the alternative, which is death. Just think of me as being on a very long tropical vacation, one that will leave me standing in the shower for an entire day when I get home. Soap! I want lots of soap! You really can only get so clean in a waterfall. Oh, to be truly clean. Put showering on my list of things I'm doing when I get back. So far we have showering, eating at the diner, Little Debbie snacks, pizza, and hugging you, but not necessarily in that order. You are first of course, and then the shower. Then we can go eat breakfast at the diner and relax, watching a game while eating Little Debbie snacks and order pizza for dinner. God, that sounds like a perfect day right now. I miss you so much, Daddy._

_When Edward said I could write you a letter, I was so excited, but I just can't seem to fit everything onto one page. Just know that I miss you more than anything in the world right now, and I will be coming back to you eventually. It'll be a while, but don't lose hope. I love you, Daddy._

_Okay, now on to the important stuff. I have mentioned Edward a couple of times in this letter. Just know he is a good man, even though I am sure you will hear some really bad stuff about him. He needs your help, Daddy. I have lived with him for over five months now, and I promise you he is not crazy or a rapist._

_I know that last word has you shocked, but you will get the whole story if you look up his brother, Emmett Cullen. He'll tell you why he was falsely accused of both. Edward has explained everything to me, and I promise you he is not guilty, Daddy. He has been a complete gentleman the whole time we've been here. We owe him, Daddy, and we have to help him. He has saved me so many times it isn't funny. The man that delivered this letter is doing so, because several of the pirate crew members were attacked by a mountain lion. Edward, being the doctor, went to help them and saved their men._

_The thing is, Daddy, not long ago, Edward himself fought off three mountain lions on his own to save me. I was surrounded by a momma and two cubs that were not very small at all. He only had a makeshift bow and arrow to use on them, and I thank God he came back to me. I was so worried that night as I waited for him in the hut. I was sure he was gone for good, leaving Jacob and I alone, when he went to find their bodies._

_Jacob is a baby that Edward saved from the plane crash. See, I told you he was a good man. He saved him, and we take care of him, we both have grown very attached to the little boy. We love him like a son. Watching Edward with him makes me miss you. The only thing that makes it alright is that I know I'll see you again soon._

_Just know when I come back that I will be bringing some chickens, a dog, a parrot, and a monkey. I think I may have to leave the goats behind. Edward and I talked about who will come and who will stay when we are rescued, and he has made some very good points about the goats being able to handle staying. I guess it depends on the size of the boat if we can bring the goats or not. Just don't be surprised when I show up with my own zoo as Edward calls it. He thinks I should be a veterinarian. He says I have a way with the animals. I think I just might do that._

_Look at that. I finally found some direction in life, too bad I had to get lost on a deserted island to do it. Of course, you always said I did things differently, I guess this just proves it._

_I love you, Daddy. I know I didn't say it much, but I hope you know it's true. I'm sorry I haven't visited you more often. There was no reason to avoid you by staying at school in Illinois. I know you pushed me to go to school and then to stay in college, because you loved me. I'm sorry that I didn't visit you more when I had the option. It's crazy how not being able to do something makes you want to do it so much more. I'm so sorry I pushed you away. Please forgive me._

_I love you and miss you more than you can imagine._

_Your, Bella-boo,"_

I rubbed my wet eyes. Her letter would be delivered first.

**CHARLIE SWAN**

I sat in my chair, watching the phone and hating it at the same time. I knew Bella was gone, but I still somehow thought she'd call me to let me know she was alright. I missed our Sunday chats. Some days, I'd forget she was gone and wonder how she was doing in school out in Chicago, but then I'd remember she wasn't there anymore.

When I heard the knock on the door, I didn't bother to get up. No one worth talking to knocked on my door. There was no reason to answer it if they weren't coming in.

"Mr. Swan?" a man's voice called.

I knew right then that this guy was from out of town, because everyone else called me Chief Swan or Charlie. I hadn't been called Mr. Swan for years. I figured I had better see who it was that was lurking around my small town.

I opened the door to see a stern-looking man who had a scar down his cheek. He looked a little relieved when I answered the door.

"I'm glad I finally got you. Your schedule is unusual."

I looked him up and down, wondering how long he had been watching my schedule. I noticed he was fumbling with something in his hand, and I recognized the writing as Bella's. It was a letter addressed to me. I wanted to snatch it from his hand, wondering where he'd gotten that and why I hadn't seen it before.

He noticed me looking at it and quickly held it out to me. "She wanted me to give you this."

My eyes narrowed at him. "Who are you?" She never talked about any boys, and I didn't think she would hang out with this fellow.

He let out a breath, "Just someone that ran into her. I hope this gives you some answers and hope," he said and then hurried off the porch. I watched as he jumped into a rental car and took off.

I memorized the plate. I figured I could look him up after I read my letter.

What I found shocked me. The words I read did give me hope. My baby girl was alive!

I jumped up, ready to call the coast guard to go get her and bring her back, but I still had no idea where she was. I panicked a little when she told me she was on the island with a crazy rapist and truly hoped to God that she was right, that he was innocent. I would know very soon.

I looked over the contact information for Emmett Cullen and decided to take a little trip out to Chicago, to see just what my girl was dealing with.

**EMMETT**

I had Rose move her research to my place. She, the judges and lawyers could work and not be bothered, nor would anyone think to look at my place for them. We were all still on guard, since that crazy bastard had come after them at Rosie's.

We all jumped a little when the doorbell rang. I told the others to stay put and out of sight, and I'd get the door. I opened it to seen a strange man smiling widely at me.

"Haws you doin, Sir brother Emmett?" he said in some crazy accent.

I didn't really know how to answer that. "Fine?"

"So good, ya. Na, I gots a piece fo you," he said holding up a folded piece of paper that looked to be from Edward. "Cap'n put 'is number dare," he said pointing to what I think was a post office box address. I didn't know if that meant I could write Edward back or if it was just to get in touch with the shipman that had brought me the letter.

"Thank you."

I took it, and he smiled widely. "We's took from da Puerto Vallarta hospital in Cancun. He say yous want to fix dat."

I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I figured the letter would tell me. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sures, dat be fittin nice."

I figured that was a yes. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I's a parched fish, so's dat be nice."

I led him to my kitchen table and offered him a beer and he took it readily. I sat down and started reading the letter. Edward had helped some pirates, and he wanted me to donate to whatever hospital they used to get supplies. I would have to look up a number and call down there to see what was taken.

Other than that, he seemed to sound happy from his letter. The girl who was with him was named Bella. He talked a lot about her. I was glad she was making him happy. Alice had said his time on the island was good for him. I was glad she was right.

"Well, Sir, I's be gone. I gots a ship ta catch," he said smiling. "Looks like yous gots good news. Dat's a fine ting ta see."

It was then I realized that this man had probably seen my brother in person not long ago. I jumped up and grabbed his shoulder. "How was he? Did he look okay? Was he doing alright?"

The man looked at my hands and then my face. He must have seen that I wasn't going to hurt him. I was just excited to get news from my brother.

"Yaw knows, he be fine, a bit squashy, but Cap'n gots 'em a blade to cuts him back. You sees 'em face now, I guess."

I wasn't sure exactly what all that meant, but I think he said Edward was fine. "A blade?" I asked

"Yessum, to cuts it back," he said moving his hand like he was shaving. I grabbed the man and hugged him. I finally figured out that he was fine, hairy, but the captain had given him a razor.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Iz jes a blade, is nuttin' fo' what he dids for me's crew. We's owed him a life. 'Lees we could do."

I laughed and hugged the man again. He patted my back laughing. "Yous good boys. Be takin' care now," he said prying himself out of my arms and heading for the door.

"Thank you," I said waving the letter at him. He nodded and grinned, tipping his hat and hopped into the passenger side of a waiting car.

It was a week later that I had another knock on the door, and I was nervous when I saw a uniformed officer standing on the other side. The last one who had showed up during Rosie's research meetings didn't end well. I noticed his uniform wasn't a normal one, or at least it was not a local one. I opened the door warily.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Emmett Cullen, brother of Edward Cullen."

"Who's asking?"

"Chief Charles Swan, Bella's father."

"Bella, the girl stranded with Edward! You got a letter, too?"

"Yes, I did. I wasn't too thrilled about some of the information I found out. She insists that Edward is innocent, but I'd rather get the facts first."

I quickly invited him in and took him to the room the research was being done in. Everyone froze and looked up worried.

"This is Chief Swan," I introduced him to all the judges, and he gave me a questioning look. "The judge that presided over Edward's case was dirty, and we're gathering evidence to clear his name."

The Chief seemed to let out a relieved breath. "How can I help?"

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma worked her magic and made this chapter beautiful and hilarious. Everyone must love her, because I do.**

**Chapter 35 - The Distance**

**BELLA**

I didn't know what was wrong, but I could tell there was definitely something going on with Edward. Things had changed with him ever since the pirates had stopped at our island. He had become more withdrawn. He was still kind and thoughtful, but he wasn't touching me. I was finding it frustrating, because I was feeling better. The powder Captain Tagger had given me worked wonders on my heat rash. I was back to being a normal girl and ready for Edward to exploit it. For some reason, though, he wasn't.

I watched him work, bending some sheet metal. He didn't say what he was making, but I figured with time it would be evident. I watched his muscles ripple across his back as he swung his wooden mallet. He was hot and delicious and…

Freaking Ollie threw a banana at my head, knocking me out of my Edward-induced haze. I could understand why Edward thought Ollie was annoying, because he was constantly "monkeying around," but he was a monkey, so it was in his nature.

I heard Edward chuckle and saw him looking at me. "Not so funny when you're on the receiving end, eh? Now just imagine if that banana was a load of shit."

"Stop throwing shit!" Polly squawked from her perch next to Edward. I thought it was cute how those two had really taken to each other. Unfortunately, Polly had acquired a very colorful vocabulary, thanks to Edward.

Jacob distracted Ollie, and they started playing a game of come and get me. Jacob was too slow to get Ollie, but would try and get away from him. Ollie thought it was fun the way Jacob would squeal and laugh when he poked him.

What was with that monkey and poking? I would probably never know.

That night when I put Jacob down after dinner, I found Edward sitting by the fire, staring off into the cave.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" I asked. He gave me a sad smile and shook his head. "I can't make it better if you won't talk to me."

"It's nothing to worry about," he mumbled quietly.

"Is it the reason you stop moving forward with me?"

He looked straight ahead for a while, as if contemplating the answer. "Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry."

"Are you going to tell me what I did?"

"You didn't do anything, Bella. You're perfect," he said smiling a forced smile and kissed my forehead. I was ready to smack him in his.

"Edward, if I'm so damn perfect, why am I still a virgin?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why are you in such a hurry to lose your virginity?"

"I'm not. I'm in a hurry to be with you, that's all. Don't you want me?"

He leaned over and started kissing me softly, making me hot and ready. When he started to pull away, I grabbed his shoulders, but he pried me off. Brat!

"We should get to bed. I'm a little sore," he said rolling his head and shoulders around groaning. Well, at least he was headed to the bedroom.

We dressed for bed, and he kind of flopped down on his stomach, groaning a little. It was then I realized he really was sore. I ran my hands over his shoulders, and he moaned in relief. Without asking, I straddled his body and started rubbing his shoulders and neck. His whole body was tight. I moved down his back, working to loosen all his muscles. I had really built up some good hand and arm muscles working with the pottery, and I was putting them to good use.

"Roll over," I commanded. He looked at me over his shoulder as if he was going to argue. "Now," I ordered.

He flipped over, and I straddled his hips as I worked out his tight pecs. It didn't go unnoticed to me that his erection was growing. I might have purposely sat on top of it and rocked back and forth, disguising it as me just rubbing his pecs and shoulders. I had to rock forward to reach them after all.

When he was solid, I leaned down and kissed his pecs and then started to rub his abs. My boy was ripped.

"Bella," he moaned and grabbed my hips. He let out a huff when I pouted. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm a virgin. I'm pretty sure no matter what it's going to hurt the first time."

He frowned. He pulled my face down to his and kissed me softly. "I don't want you to regret being with me."

"I won't," I promised.

His eyes looked so sad. "Bella, I'm staying."

"Where?"

"Here, when the time comes, I'm staying here. I can't go back to that mental hospital. I just can't."

"You don't have to, Edward." I had already thought this out. No one knew we were alive, so they wouldn't be looking for him. I'd hide him until I could clear his name.

"Yes, I do, Bella. I don't' want to end up in jail."

"How about a basement? It's really nice, actually. All finished out like an apartment, with a surround sound theater, kitchen, bathroom, and anything else you'd need. Being a basement apartment, though, it does have a bit of a cave feeling to it, so you'd feel right at home if you really are that attached to this place."

"What?"

I shrugged. "I plan on hiding you until your name is cleared, Edward. Do you really think there's any way I'd give you up and make you go back to that place? If you do, you really are crazy."

He looked at me surprised, and then he grabbed me, kissing me hard. I guess he was accepting my offer to hide him. Thank God, I was going to burn up with want if he didn't.

His hands were everywhere, and when they finally slowed, we were both naked. I sighed in relief, until I felt him against me. I was instantly nervous. He must of have noticed, because he started kissing down my body, as if he was worshiping me, nibbling as he went. I was a little surprised when his kissing continued southward, and he started kissing the inside of my thighs. I looked down at him, and he smirked at me. Then I felt it, his tongue, and I was amazed at how it felt. I never thought I'd like that, but boy was I wrong. I liked it. I really, really liked it.

His hands worked me over, and I came hard, screaming his name. I watched as he licked his lips and climbed up my body, lining us up. He kissed my neck and whispered, "Not tonight, Love, I need to work you more before I do."

I whined in disappointment, and then I realized his cock was still insanely hard and looking up at me. I surprised him when I grabbed him, but I was happy that he didn't pull away. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly, barely leaving enough room between us for me to grip him. He bucked his hips, thrusting his cock in my hand. "I can't wait to be inside you," he moaned, and I ran my free hand up into his hair.

"I want you inside me so bad," I said, and his whole body stiffened as he came all over my stomach.

He fell to the side of me, panting hard, and I had the biggest grin on my face.

Awkward stage over…sex, here I come!

**EMMETT**

Chief Swan was still standing in the entryway, everyone staring at him warily. I looked back at Rosie, and she just shrugged at me, sitting back down with the judges and lawyers to work. They were getting close to being ready to rumble with these asshats, and so we left them to their research.

I invited Chief Swan into the kitchen for a drink and filled him in on everything from the beginning. I was finally able to convince him that my brother was innocent and that we were dealing with a dirty judge, a crooked lawyer and a damn rotten kid with no conscience and no redeeming qualities. He just shook his head in disbelief at the cluster fuck that had been our last two years.

"Well, I'm glad he's a good guy and my daughter is safe with him, but what are you doing to get them home? The guy that brought me Bella's letter took off before I could get a location. Did you have any luck with your guy?" Chief Swan asked.

"Oh, we know approximately where they are, we just have to find a way to get there," I said. "Alice believes they're in a location that's normally hard to get to, and we need someone who's willing to take the risk."

"What do you mean?" Chief Swan asked stunned. Alice skipped into the kitchen, and I introduced her to the Chief.

"We have the search area mapped out. I have a general idea of where they are, but the captain who will be willing to take us there won't be ready to sail until February at this point," she said shaking her head.

"February! That's my baby girl out there, we can't just leave her!"

"Well, I did send them a care package to help with their stay."

"Care package?"

Alice ignored the comment. "I just don't see a way to convince Captain Whitlock to go before then."

"Why not?"

"Well, he doesn't find out his girlfriend of five years is cheating on him until then."

"Why don't you just tell him?"

"I don't like to be the bearer of bad news. People tend to blame me, even when I've had nothing to do with it. It usually ends very badly for me."

"Fine, I'll tell the bastard. Let's go!"

Alice was dancing toward the door, suddenly excited. "This might really work!"

Chief Swan led us out to his car, and I eyed it warily. I really didn't want to ride in a police cruiser. Alice jumped into the front seat next to him, leaving me in the back. I slid in nervously and listened as Alice gave directions to the Chief, heading us toward the shore of Lake Michigan. I wondered if Alice knew that Lake Michigan didn't have an ocean outlet.

We pulled up in front of an old rundown building in a questionable area near the docks. We both watched as Alice walked confidently up to the front door and went right in. We followed cautiously after her, not sure this was such a good idea.

"You sure this Captain guy is here?" Chief Swan asked.

"Yes, he's here." She seemed to be looking for him, and then a huge smile spread across her face. "There, he's over there!" she bounced excitedly, pointing toward a tall lanky blond guy.

The Chief strolled confidently up to Captain Whitlock. "Excuse me, Sir, but I have it on good authority that your girlfriend is cheating on you."

The man looked up at the Chief confused and then looked back at a small group of women who were draping themselves all over some men that were congregating around behind him. "Look, buddy, I don't know who you are, but my girl doesn't cheat. If she has an itch, she comes to me or watches her friends," he said pointing at the skanky-looking women.

Holy shit! Whitlock's girl was naughty!

Chief Swan walked back over to our little group, and Alice took her turn, stepping up to Captain Whitlock and flashing her best smile at him while batting her lashes. It worked, as he was suddenly stammering and shy.

"Hey, little lady, what are you doing in here? This is no place for a sweet innocent girl like you," Captain Whitlock said kindly.

Alice smiled. "Actually, this is exactly the place for me. I've come to speak to Maria about a job."

I noticed how Captain Whitlock looked suddenly worried. "Darlin', I really don't think this is the profession you want to go into."

Alice smiled defiantly. "Actually, I'd really rather discuss this with Maria, so if you'd be so kind as to get her for me."

Captain Whitlock stood up and eyed her warily, before heading to the back room. It was only seconds after he had gone back that a loud string of explicit words could be heard coming from back there. There was a lot of banging and shouting, before a mostly-naked guy came running out, holding his hat over his junk, sporting a black eye and a bloody nose. Well, it looked like this Maria had gone hands on after all.

Captain Whitlock suddenly came storming out. "And I'm taking the damn bird, too!" he shouted and brought a huge colorful bird out of the back room with him.

"Whoa, sailor, that'll be fifty dollars!" it squawked.

"Shut up!" he snapped at the bird and shocked us all when he grabbed Alice by the arm. "And you're not working here. I don't give a damn what you think," he said dragging her out of the building.

He was walking quickly, practically dragging Alice along or maybe not. She almost looked happy and was skipping along with him. Honestly, I wasn't sure that girl wasn't insane. He pulled her onto a rather large boat and thumped down on a crate, while the large bird settled on the railing and started walking back and forth, eyeing everyone curiously.

"If you really need a job, you can be a cabin boy, or girl, or whatever. You can work for me, but I'm not letting you take up with the likes of them!" Captain Whitlock said as he got up and started pacing.

"Oh, thank you!" we heard Alice squeal.

I looked at Chief Swan, he looked at me, and we both shrugged. We had no freakin' clue as to what was going on.

"That whore, I can't believe it! I mean, five years, and all this time she's been...I can't believe it! Well, I've had it with her! I'm doing what I want from now on. This cowering to a whore is not my style. Yep, I've had it. I'm taking what I want. That's it! I'll just go out there and take what I want and be a man of the world. I'm sailing around the world, and I'm going to rule it like a king! I AM KING!" Captain Whitlock shouted, standing at the front of his boat like some Viking icon. The guy had officially lost it.

"King Whitlock?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Yes, Miss...?"

"Alice, just Alice."

"Yes, Alice?"

"Where's the rest of the crew?"

"Well," he let out a sigh, "They're all back at the bordello."

"Oh, so will you be looking for a new crew then? You know, to start off your new life as Pirate King and all?"

"Pirate King, huh? I like the sound of that, Lassie. Are you okay with being the cabin boy of a Pirate King?"

"Sure, sounds like fun! We should get a ship in the ocean, maybe somewhere off of Florida, make an adventure of it."

"A new ship?" He didn't sound so sure.

"Yup, I've been looking for a handsome Pirate King like you to sail my ship. It's down off the coast of Florida, if you want to give it a try."

"Alright, swabbies! Let's hoist the sails!" he shouted.

"Easy there, sailor, money first!" the bird squawked.

"Excellent, Emmett, purchase the plane tickets. Captain Whitlock, pack your bags, we have an adventure to go on!"

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review, ye landlubbers!**


	36. Chapter 36

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta and pirate expert. You just got to love her dirty pirate parrot phrases.**

**Chapter 36 - Inquiring Minds Want to Know**

**CHARLIE**

That little Alice girl was very curious. She seemed excited as I followed her directions to the place this Captain Whitlock would be found. As we were driving, she informed me that Emmett would be joining her and Captain Whitlock in Florida, where she had the rescue ship ready. I needed to stay in Chicago with Rosalie Hale and continue to work to clear Edward's name. She said they would need an officer's insight to make a case against the Volturi legal group and Judge Caius. They could only do that if I stayed at Emmett's and helped with the case. He thought it was a good idea as well.

Alice told me not to worry about Rose, that she could handle herself. That made me a little nervous, because I didn't like that someone I would be working with would need to handle themselves. It sounded like this name clearing-business would be getting dangerous, and I didn't like it. Instead of riding back with me in the cruiser, Alice hopped in a beat-up truck with Captain Whitlock and told Emmett to meet them at Rose's house to get ready for the six o'clock flight.

**EMMETT**

When I arrived at the airport, Alice and Captain Whitlock seemed to be in a rush. They had some sort of animal carrier, so I assumed they were going to check in that crazy bird. I didn't see them again until we were on the plane, and they were actually a few rows ahead of me.

The pair were chatting it up like mad. People glared at them when they'd burst out into loud laughter, accompanied by knee slapping.

When we arrived at the airport, Alice slipped me a paper and took off with the Captain again. It had an address on it, and I realized I needed to get my own transportation to the dock. I didn't know what was up with her, but it was annoying. It was like I was in a race I could never win.

I knew they'd left after me, so it made no sense that they'd arrived before me. I should've been at the dock first. Yet, there they were, moving their luggage and crates around, like I was hours behind.

I couldn't let them take off without me. I jumped aboard, and the captain looked at me dangerously. I held my hands up to show I wasn't there for a fight.

"Avast, landlubber! Who are ye?" he asked, suddenly developing a silly pirate's accent. Captain Jack Sparrow this yahoo wasn't.

"He's your new first mate!" Alice chirped.

"Alrighty then, what be ye name, matey?"

"Emmett Cullen, Cap'n."

"Alrighty, Officer Cullen, we're sailing out to take over the world! Are ye in, Lad?"

It looked like Alice wasn't kidding when she said this guy was nuts. I just shrugged. "Sure?"

Captain Whitlock clapped his hands. "Alrighty then, mates, time to weigh anchor!"

"Leave the money on the table, sailor!" the bird squawked again and crapped loudly down the side of the ship.

Oh, yeah, this was going to make for an interesting trip.

Alice and the captain were singing sea shanties at the top of their lungs and mostly off key. At least that was what Alice called them when she broke into verse and started dancing around the deck like Tinkerbelle on crack. Captain Nutcase quickly joined in, along with that wacky parrot, who kept randomly squawking out inappropriate phrases. What the hell had I gotten myself into? _A bad episode of Love Boat meets The Fisher King most likely._

"Captain, how are we on supplies?" I dared to ask, wondering if we were sailing off only to starve to death.

"Aye, me hardy! That's Pirate KING Captain Whitlock to you!"

Right, so sailing off to my death now. "Right, sorry, King Captain Pirate Whitlock."

"Pirate King Captain Whitlock."

"Pirate Captain King Whitlock."

"PIRATE KING CAPTAIN WHITLOCK! It's not that hard!" he said exasperated.

"No, it isn't, Pirate King Captain Whitlock," she said easily.

"Show off," I grumbled. "Can't I just call you PKC Whitlock? That's so much easier." _Or maybe just Captain Fruit Loop_. God help us all.

"Peek-n-See, five dollars!" the bird squawked as it wove back and forth on the railing in time with their singing. I made the mistake of bending over to re-tie my shoe, and the damned thing squawked again, "Rrrarrk! That costs extra, sailor!"

"Never mind, you," I said waving it off. I finally got the captain's attention. "I just wanted to know if we had enough supplies to get us to the island…Sir."

"Nay, we'll be scouring and scrounging and taking what we will at our next stop!" he said eagerly.

I looked at Alice worried; I didn't want to be robbing anyone. I was not a thief!

"You know, Pirate King Captain Whitlock, you should man the ship while Emmett and I get the goods. Pirate Kings need a layer of mystique about them to truly become famous you know."

"Excellent idea, cabin girl Alice!" He turned to me and glowered. "You don't let anyone touch a hair on her head," he warned, "Or ye'll be walkin' the plank, matey!"

I was not about to point out that we didn't have a plank. Chances were good his crazy ass would see to rectifying that.

**EDWARD**

Bella seemed so anxious to have sex, and it was starting to worry me. I definitely wanted her, but I wondered why exactly she wanted _me_ so badly. I didn't want to be the guy who just happened to stamp her V-card. I wanted her for good. I wanted to hide out in her basement and not just be her sex slave, but her friend and boyfriend.

"Bathsard," Jacob squealed as he played with Oliver. Yeah, I knew if Bella heard him swearing, it wouldn't go over well. Apparently, he thought Oliver's name was little bastard. Yeah, I might have had something to do with that, but I put all the blame on Polly.

I wondered what would happen with Jacob when we returned. We couldn't keep him from his true family. That would be kidnapping, and I really didn't want to add another crime to my growing list. I knew Bella would be heartbroken to lose him, and I wondered if Alice would be able to see a way through this that wouldn't hurt so much. I would miss the little guy, too. I didn't have kids, but as far as kids went, he was a pretty cool one.

"Da-Da!" he said grabbing my legs, wanting to be picked up. I did so and tossed him in the air a little, making him laugh. I remembered my dad doing the same with me. I hoped Jake had a good family who loved him. I knew his mother was gone, but Bella had said something about a grandfather. I hoped he'd let us see him. I didn't care where he lived. I'd move us there so we could be close by.

Us. Wasn't it silly how I instantly thought in terms of 'us' now? I wondered if Bella thought the same way.

"Be nice and share!" Polly squawked from my shoulder. I turned to see Bella walking out of the cave eating yam. I figured it should've been effective by now, but that was something hard to gauge. In fact, it might not work at all. She took a few big bites and gave the last piece to Polly. "So good," Polly moaned out, sounding just like Bella in the throes of passion, and both our eyes popped open at her new phrase.

"I did not teach her that," I defended.

Bella shook her head. "I don't think either of us intended for her to pick that up."

I was relieved to see she wasn't upset. "How about we see if we can get her to say my name?" I said wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

She whacked my shoulder. "Tonight, after we're done with this," she said motioning to the cave entrance. We were covering it so she'd be well hidden from the pirates. We also were constructing a ladder that would make the hole in the main room's roof our new exit from the cave. I had also used some of the sheet metal to fashion a cover for the cave hole, layering it with soil and planting grass on it so it would blend. She could be completely hidden if that was what needed to happen. It would be impossible to find a way into the cave unless you knew how to get into it already.

We had just finished up dinner, when Bella put Jake to bed. Everyone was settled for the night, and I wondered if I'd be able to get enough nerve up to do it tonight. I kept looking for reasons to back out, worried that sex would ruin everything, but she was still so eager. I had been placating her with oral sex and talk of stretching her, but I knew she'd put her foot down soon and demand it. It wasn't that I didn't want to have sex; I just didn't want to do it too soon or at the wrong time. If we were home, would she still want me and be harassing me for sex? Was this just something she wanted to do to keep herself busy? Was this something she was doing, because she didn't want to die a virgin? There were so many reasons, and none of them were good ones.

I really wished I could read her mind.

**BELLA**

I was going to explode.

Edward had been so hands-off it was driving me insane. The dreams I had been having for the past few days could have put the porno business on the stock exchange. Yeah, they were that good, and who didn't love some hot island loving? It was the stuff good steamy novels were made of. Maybe I needed to be writing steamy island smut instead of the journaling I had been doing all these months about our experiences here. It would probably sell more copies, that was for sure.

Edward was the classic example of a tease. All talk and no action. Okay, there was a little action, but I was getting sick of wanting more. Not that he didn't get me off; believe me, he did. There was a reason Polly started talking like a porn star when she ate the wild yam. I couldn't even find it in me to be ashamed of it, but if he didn't get his cock buried balls deep in me tonight, I'd swear to god I was mounting him in his sleep!

I slipped into our room and stripped. I wasn't even going to bother with bedclothes tonight. I was ready, and I was making sure he knew I was. I lay down on our bed and tried to arrange myself on it in a way I thought might be appealing to him. After changing positions several times and giving up on my porn star pout, I wondered what the hell was taking him so long to get his ass to bed.

"Edward?" I called.

"Coming!" he answered back.

He would be if I had anything to do with it!

He walked in timidly, and when he looked up at me through the dim candlelight, he let out his breath in a whoosh. I was hoping that was a good reaction.

"You coming to bed?" I asked, waiting. His eyes were focused on my breasts, so I gave one a pinch and squeeze, and his eyes snapped up to mine. "You coming to bed?"

He nodded his head yes, moving slowly forward as he dropped his clothes along the way. He cleared his throat. "Are you sure about this, Bella? I mean, you can't undo this once it's done."

I swear I was going to strangle him with my hymen if he asked me that one more time. "Edward, I'm losing it tonight, whether you like it or not."

He looked at me confused. "There isn't anyone else on the island, Bella, are you feeling alright?"

Oh, God, he was stalling again!

"Edward, come on, what's your problem?"

He looked down and then out the entrance of our room. "Look, Bella, I know we're here alone on the island, and it's a stressful situation..."

"Edward, get to the point," I snapped. Mama was horny and wanted to get past this and to the good stuff.

"If we'd been back in the states when we met, you wouldn't be doing this with me," he said looking at me a little worried.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was a crazy freak that lived in an insane asylum."

"Ah, yes, insane freaking crazy sex, you know, I think I'd like that, too."

"Bella, you're a virgin for a reason, and I don't want you to throw that away."

"I'm a virgin because I've never had anyone worth screwing take an interest in me."

He looked pained.

"Edward, you're totally worth screwing, and just so you know, when we get back to the states, I'm screwing you there, too," I said as I snuggled up and started kissing him softly. He was hard as a rock. I knew he wanted me, and I was glad he'd finally gotten up the nerve to tell me why he was stalling. Any other man would have mounted me weeks ago, but not my sweet wonderful Edward. No, he wanted to make sure this was really right, and that just turned me on more.

He relaxed into the kissing, and all I could think was thank God it was finally going to happen. His mouth had attacked me, and he was all over me. His hands were doing what I now knew was stretching me, the difference between tonight and other nights was every few minutes of working me, he would place his tip at my entrance. "Just a little more, baby, almost there," he said as he rubbed his cock up over my clit, causing me to moan his name and buck in response.

It was going to happen. It was finally going to happen!

He was kissing me hard and wild, devouring every bit of skin he came across as he worked me over. He stretched over me again and tried his tip one last time. It felt like it maybe slipped in a little, and then he froze, not actually going in. I was on the verge of tears. I wanted to scream, "Shove it in already!"

"What?"

"Shit shit shit!" He put his head down on my shoulder.

"What? Why did you stop?"

"The pirates, they're back. If I'm not on shore, they'll send people out looking for me. I don't want them here. I have to go so I can be there to meet them."

"NO!"

"I'm sorry, baby. I promise, once we get rid of these guys, I swear, I'm living inside you for a damn week." He kissed my lips and then licked his fingers, smiling at me. "Keep my dessert warm."

I groaned, rubbing my thighs together, trying to create some friction. He saw my dilemma. "Touch yourself, baby."

I was a little shocked, but his eyes were fixed on me, waiting. I nervously slid my hand down to myself, finding my clit. It didn't feel nearly as good as when he did it. He watched me working myself as he quickly pulled on his clothes, and once he yanked on his shoes, he suddenly dived face first into my cooch and took a mouthful.

Fuck, that was hot. I came hard and fast. He was licking his lips and smiling as he headed for the door.

"Be safe, stay here. I'll come back when I can."

I nodded okay, still floating a little from my orgasm. I would be sleeping good tonight.

But still a virgin.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	37. Chapter 37

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is the beta queen, and she totally rocks Emmett's POV this chapter! Love her, it's impossible not to!**

**Chapter 37 – Three's a Crowd**

**EDWARD**

I hurried to the beach and glanced back toward the mountains. I could say I had been up there and saw them coming, so I came down to meet them. I recognized a few of them as they hollered out greetings to me.

"Hey there, doctor man, how's the island life treating you?"

I shrugged. "Not bad, actually," I said running my hand over my face. It only had a light scruff on it, because I had been able to shave regularly now.

"We gots you big prizes!" another man said hopping out of the dingy. "You be nickered to sees it all."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he was picturing several pieces of medical equipment. I just smiled and nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, Captain Tagger was directing the unloading of several boxes and had a canopy set up. They brought in a false floor and rolled in an operating table and cart.

"This should work as your office, shouldn't it?" the captain asked, and I nodded in agreement.

Four guys brought the guy with his insides torn up out and laid him on the table. "He's still doing bad, doc," one said.

"Has he been running a fever?" I asked.

"Nah, he be fine wit de pain killerz. He still moanin' all night long, doe. Is he dyin', sur?" the man with the odd accent asked, worrying about his friend.

"I don't know. I need to take a look. Is he taking his antibiotics like I prescribed?"

"Aye, sur, he barely able to dink a fing, doe."

I opened some of the boxes, looking at all the different medical supplies they had brought. "Is Chauncey still around?" I asked. "I could use a hand."

The guys looked at each other nervously, but finally nodded yes. The general consensus was that no one was to go near her. The captain was pissed to find she had been fucking the whole crew. No one was even allowed to speak her name. But the odd-accent fellow called her out.

"Chauncey, ole' doc need a hand!"

They stood back and parted the way as she was escorted into the tent with her brother and his friend. I was surprised to find the captain had followed as well. I saw there was a huge gash across Chauncey's face. I frowned, learning from their thoughts that she had been attacked from what I could make out. The man was thrown overboard after a bad fight. The captain was pissed at losing a man and wanted to maroon her here with me.

"I'll fix your cut in a moment, but I need you to get an I-V started on this man. I suspect he's severely dehydrated. I need him hydrated before I can check for mortis intestine and blockages. It's common in abdominal wounds of this nature."

Another guy opened a box and pushed a small cart toward me. "Can you use this, doc?" he asked and my eyes lit up. It was an ultrasound machine.

"Yes, I could, but do we have some place to plug it in?" I asked.

The captain snapped his fingers, and several men came forward carrying a generator and a cord. "This should do it," the captain said sternly. I could see he was still pissed at Chauncey. Apparently, she had been held as a prisoner onboard since the attack for her supposed safety, and she had only been let out to help me.

They started up the generator, and I quickly used the ultrasound machine to examine the man on the table. He was in bad shape. From what I could tell, some of his flesh was dying and not healing properly. I also found a dead section of intestine. They were lucky to get him to me in time. I had Chauncey knock him out for me, and I quickly got to work reopening his wound and removing the damaged section of intestine while cutting back the dead flesh. I quickly sewed him back up as well as I could. His wound was still not doing well, so I asked a couple of the guys to go to the creek and find some leeches. They were grossed out, but the captain wouldn't let them back down.

I started him on a heavy antibiotic, and when the men returned with the leeches, they were surprised that I handled them spryly as I cleaned them up and carefully placed them around the barely living skin. "I need to get his circulation going, and these are the safest way after a surgery. He needs to stay hydrated, so I'd like to keep him on an I-V drip for a couple of days and make sure he finishes off his antibiotics."

I started cleaning the cut on Chauncey's face and pulled out a needle to numb it. I warned her that there would be a little pinch, and then I waited a moment for the anesthetic to kick in.

"Did the fellow with the bad eye get his antibiotics as well? I'd like to see how he's coming along," I said asking for my next patient, trying to get everyone treated as fast as possible, so I could get back to my Bella.

The friend of Chauncey's brother stepped out of the tent and called for the men needing to be seen to line up, while I quickly put a few stitches in her face. "This should help it not to scar," I said trying to distract her from my stitching.

Once I finished up with her, I called the next man in and checked his eye. "Are you still taking the medicine I prescribed?" He nodded yes. "I'm going to give you another shot just to be sure. This is a bad infection, and I'd rather you not have to lose your eye."

He gave me a toothless grin, thrilled there might be a chance he'd be able to see out of it again. He'd been sure he'd lose it and end up with a cliché eye patch. I gave him a quick shot and had him sit down, so I could watch him and make sure he didn't have a reaction to what I'd given him.

I saw a few other guys and treated some minor injuries of the others that had been injured in the mountain lion attack. One man came forward sporting a bad fever, and when I examined him, I found that his appendix was tender.

"I think I should take out his appendix to be on the safe side. If it ruptures, he'll most likely die at sea."

They brought in a table so I could work on the other man without having to move my first patient. I quickly knocked him out and made a tiny incision, popping out his inflamed appendix. It was much easier to work with actual surgical instruments. "He shouldn't be doing any lifting or strenuous work for at least six weeks," I said as I stitched him up.

"Say, you gots kitchen duty now, boy," the heavily-accented man laughed as my patient came back around.

The captain agreed and sent the man off to the boat.

I had spent all day working on these men and seeing to their needs. It was later that night, as I was getting ready to pack up, that the captain came back with the brother of Chauncey. "I want you to keep the girl with you," Captain Tagger said in more of a command than a question.

The brother was upset and thought he was selling his sister in exchange for medical help. "I believe she wishes to stay with her brother," I said looking at the fuming man.

"It's not up to her. She's caused too much dissention in the ranks, and I want her off my ship. I told them I'd leave her in the first safe port, and you can't get any safer than here. It's deserted."

I looked at the man and then at the captain. "I'll have to speak with Bella first," I said softly.

The captain nodded and walked out, leaving me with the brother, who was staring at me confused. "You really think I'd be so content if I were here alone?" I asked quietly.

"Will she be safe with you?"

"Yes, well, as safe as anyone is on this island, but she'd be safe," I said trying to reassure the man.

I got the impression that if I'd told him his sister would in no way be safe, he'd fight the captain and get them both killed. Captain Tagger wasn't budging on her staying, and I could tell from his mind that he was ready to toss them both overboard with the lost crewmate. They had been saved by the brother's friend. I had learned from their thoughts that the brother and he were a whole hell of a lot more than just buddies, but that wouldn't fly with the rest of the crewmen.

He nodded and walked out. I guessed that was his acceptance.

It was about an hour later, as I was changing out the last bag of antibiotics on the unconscious man, that I heard whimpering. I quickly stepped outside. "What's going on?" I asked and then realized it was Chauncey, and her brother had her by her shoulders.

"See, you'll be safe with him. He was coming out when he heard you. Now come on, I'm walking you to your new home."

I looked at the pair stunned, and then I noticed there was a large cart with several big boxes. There were all kinds of food provisions and supplies, and one of the cases was marked toilet paper. Bella would be thrilled.

"You ready to go, doc?" he asked.

"Beau, please," Chauncey begged. She was actually in love with the captain.

"Captain is going to be tossing you next, girl. I won't be having it. You need to go. I'll be back for you. You'll be safe. Now let's go," he said grabbing her arm roughly, and I realized I wouldn't have a chance to discuss this with Bella.

I led them to the top of the cave and stopped. They looked around for a moment confused. "You can't let a soul know this is here, do you understand? I won't risk my family. I'll take care of your sister as if she was my own, but if your carelessness leads to the loss of my family, I will not hesitate to kill you. I'm a doctor, and believe me; I know more ways to kill a man than any pirate does."

He nodded in acceptance and actually took comfort in my defending my family so strongly. I moved the rock, revealing the handle of my home and called down to Bella.

"Bella, love, we have company."

"Edward, is everything okay?" She quickly lit up the fire, lighting the cave. I made my way down the ladder, followed by Chauncey and then her brother, Beau.

"This is Chauncey and her brother, Beau," I introduced and Bella stepped forward, shaking their hands and introducing herself.

Polly flew to my shoulder, awakened by the light of the fire. "This is Polly," I smiled.

"Good boy!" she squawked making Bella giggle.

"Off to bed, Polly." I sent her back to her perch. "Well, this is the main room. Jacob's room is over there. Bella and I sleep in that alcove. I'll look for another one for you in the morning, when we can get more light in this place."

"Who's Jacob?" Beau asked nervously.

"He's our son," Bella answered without hesitation. "He's just over a year old."

Beau smiled and nodded his head; sure that Jacob would not be a threat to his sister.

Sam came sniffing out of the alcove. "This is our dog, Sam," I said and called Sam over. He didn't seem to like Chauncey, but I told her he was a wild dog, so it took some time for him to warm up to people.

"Little Bastard," Polly squawked on her perch.

"Oh, and there's Oliver; thanks for reminding me, Polly," I said smiling, and she tipped her head in my direction. "He's a little troublemaking monkey. He sleeps with Jacob and Sam in Jake's room. So that's everyone," I said looking around.

"Well, we have some chickens and goats, but we can introduce you to them in the morning," Bella said. "Would you like me to show you to the bathroom?"

Chauncey just nodded and they walked off. She still seemed stunned and stuck in disbelief that this was all happening.

Beau smiled as Bella put an arm around his sister and led her away, talking about making her a mattress and finding her a room of her own. I heard Jacob start to fuss. Sam moving must have woken him. "Just a moment, please." I excused myself to get Jake, and when I came back, I found Beau sitting by the fire with his face in his hands.

"Bathsard!" Jake squealed.

"Ah, do me a favor and don't mention that to the girls. I don't think Bella knows he picked up my name for Oliver yet."

Beau started laughing, "Sure thing."

"You need to sleep, little man," I spoke to Jacob.

"I'm going to bring down the supplies," Beau said just as the girls came walking back in.

"I'll take him, honey," Bella said taking the baby from my arms, "That way you can help Beau bring in her things."

I nodded and followed Beau out, and when we reached the surface, Beau stopped me. "You're a lucky man."

I nodded. "I am."

He smiled at me, and we got to work. Another person in the cave would be difficult, especially another woman.

For some reason, I was not looking forward to this.

**EMMETT**

Alice and Captain Kook were on their third round of _Blow the Man Down,_ when we finally pulled into a little port just off the tip of the Florida coast. I couldn't wait to hit the dock and give my ears a rest.

"Drop anchor, Officer Cullen, we be needin' provisions and a run at ye ole' swill shoppe for a keg o' rum!" our illustrious captain shouted.

Great, as if he wasn't already off his fucking rocker sober. Juiced up, I'd bet he'd demand I rowed the damn boat to the island with the invisible oars only he'd be able to see.

"Remember, Pirate King Captain Whitlock, Officer Cullen and I are going for supplies, and you were going to go over the ship and make sure everything is ship shape and get the fuel tanks filled, isn't that right?" Alice asked and the captain nodded. "Alright then, Officer Cullen, let's be headin' off for them provisions then," Alice said in her cheesy pirate voice, smiling at the captain, who was grinning back at her as if she'd told him she knew the way to Atlantis. After spending some time with her, I wouldn't doubt it for a minute.

I jumped up on the dock and helped Alice out of the boat, and we headed into the little town that was near the bay. She was skipping along, singing and dancing to whatever tune was playing in that spiky little head of hers. Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I just had to ask.

"Is he really crazy?" I asked Alice.

She just smiled up at me and winked. "That remains to be seen, now doesn't it, Officer Cullen? But isn't this so much fun? How often do we grownups get to play in the fantasy world of pirates and go off on fantastical voyages?"

I just shook my head. I wasn't so sure Captain Clueless was playing anymore. But he was our only resource right now for getting to my brother, so I guessed I was just going to have to hope Tinkerbelle here could sprinkle enough fairy dust on me to get me off the ground to keep up with them.

We found a grocery store and loaded up with enough non-perishable food and fresh water to stock a cruise ship for a week. Who knew they sold canned bread, crackers and cookies? Apparently, this grocer was used to sailors and stocked MRE's like the military guys lived on. Pretty cool if you asked me. Alice also insisted we buy a case of disposable diapers and wipes. She said it would be worth it when Bella thanked us, whatever that meant. As we passed the liquor store, Alice made to go buy some rum, but I stopped her.

"Alice, do you really think he needs any more help going off the deep end? I think the dude is already treading some seriously murky water here. What say we try to help get him back in the boat?" She reluctantly nodded, and we decided to forgo the booze. Although I did consider slipping a bottle of something strong into my own back pocket for when they started that singing again.

We made it back to the boat to find the captain splayed flat of his ass, cussing at the top of his lungs at the bird for taking a dump on the deck, which he had slipped in and smeared bird shit all down the back of one leg and on the seat of his pants. I was smart and bit my tongue to keep from busting out laughing and making a snide remark about it really being a poop deck. He'd probably make me swab it, and bird shit wasn't my idea of fun.

With our provisions finally stowed away, we got down to the business of finding the island. Despite being a total nut job, the captain knew his stuff when it came to navigation, and after studying the maps and listening to Alice as she rambled on about more pirates and crap, they settled on a direction, and we decided to set sail in the morning.

I sat on the deck and watched the sunset over the little harbor town as Alice and Jasper headed below. I made a quick call to Rose to let her know I was looking after her crazy sister. She assured me that they were about ready to blow that damned judge's crooked ass sky high, and I so wanted to be there to see it when the shit started flying.

I wasn't much on praying most days, but I said a quick one for my brother and Bella in hopes that we'd find them soon and all this mess would be over. I missed Edward and so did my knuckles. That damned crazy head of bronze hair had gone way too long without a serious noogie rub from big Em.

But most of all, I just missed my brother.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**I'm rewriting this story, so if you read it before, you should give it another go. If you haven't, I hope you'll check it out now. This rewritten version will no longer be based on Out of Eden.**

**Chapter 38 – Eggs-aspiration's a Bitch**

**BELLA**

The girl Edward had brought home was quiet. At least she was at first. When he said he was headed back to the beach, she started to follow him and he stopped her. "Your brother isn't expecting you. You need to stay with Bella, and she can show you around when the sun is up. Maybe even get you a bed made," he said, and then I watched as he grimaced slightly and then walked over and pulled me into his arms, kissing me soundly. "I'll be back soon," he said and climbed the ladder out of the cave. Chauncey watched him all the way up.

I helped her make a bedroll and set her up by the fire for the night. I hoped we could find her a room far away from mine and Edward's, so we could still have our private time. I was not thrilled about her being here, but I would make the best of it. I was sure Edward wouldn't have brought the girl here if he hadn't been forced to. Besides, I didn't figure a woman on a pirate ship was such a good idea. It was for that very reason I was staying hidden.

I was woken later that night to Edward sliding into bed behind me. His hand cupped my breast, and he kissed my neck. I ground back a little into him, and his grip tightened on me. "You tired, baby?" I asked.

His worn eyes looked down at me as he kissed my lips softly. "I love it when you call me that," he said rolling me over and settling between my legs, grinding down into me. He kissed my neck while pulling down my shirt.

"They think we're married, don't they?" I asked. He looked up at my face worried. "It's fine. It's for the best," I said pulling him down to kiss me.

"Would you be completely opposed to the idea?" he asked in a whisper, as if he didn't want me to hear.

I just smiled. "Let's get home where it's an option, before we discuss it."

He nodded, kissing my lips softly then falling into the mattress next to me. He pulled me back against him, nuzzling into my neck, kissing it softly.

"Tease," I mumbled.

He snickered. "Believe me, I wish I wasn't."

The next morning, I got up and tucked the sheet around Edward, so he could get some more sleep. I headed for the cave entrance and shifted the metal reflector so it would light up the cave, then stoked the fire and started the water for some morning tea. I grabbed Jacob's sippy cup and went to milk the goat. I filled his bottle and then squirted the rest into the mixing bowl. I walked over to the makeshift counter Edward had made and set the bowl down, looking at the food I had set out.

We had harvested the corn and green beans. There was some squash, peas, peppers and tomatoes as well. I thought I would make a special breakfast, so I ground up some of the grain and then gathered the eggs. I made my sort-of pancakes, and then I coated them in egg and fried them up, sort of like French toast. I was impressed with my invention and was excited about Edward getting a chance to try it out with some of the honey I'd collected.

I heard Jacob wake up, so I went and changed his diaper and gave him his sippy cup. When we came out of his room, I was shocked to find Chauncey was up and had actually eaten all of the French pancakes. I stopped, stunned. I had made seven pancakes, and they were all gone.

"Where's the food?" I asked.

"What food?" she asked.

"The breakfast I made. It was right there on the counter."

"Oh, I thought that was just messed-up food to feed to the chickens. I got rid of it for you," she said smugly and pointed to the hens now picking apart my breakfast creation I'd worked hard on this morning. It was thrown on the ground like garbage. I was doing my best to keep my cool. I tried very hard to believe it was just a misunderstanding.

"So, what's for breakfast?" she smirked. She had some nerve.

"It _was_ French pancakes, but now it's going to be plain eggs," I said annoyed.

"So, where's the milk?" she asked, motioning toward Jacob's sippy. I pulled him closer to me instinctively.

"There is no more, at least not until later today."

"Why?"

"Because Jacob gets most of the morning milk, and I used the rest to make breakfast, which you fed to the chickens!" I snapped. "We only have one milk goat that's young, so she doesn't put out a lot."

"Well, you should get more milk goats then."

"Right, let me get right on that. Oh wait, I'm stuck on an island, so I can't just ride down to the stockyard and pick some up!"

"Geez, you're bitchy," Chauncey griped. God, this wasn't working out. So far this morning, I'd just wanted to hit her.

Oliver woke up, listening to our discontent and decided to investigate Chauncey. He swooped down several times, poking at her and pulling her hair. I could have scolded him and made him stop, but I didn't. Maybe I was being a little bitchy, but she'd just wasted my morning's hard work, chucking it to the chickens like rubbish. It wasn't that I didn't love my girls, but I knew they preferred bugs to pancakes. We would've had plenty of bugs for them to have filled up on when we found Chauncey's room, but now the hens were full. Really, it would be a waste all around. Stupid girl.

Sam made his way out and sat down next to me, eyeing her warily as she sat braiding and unbraiding her long dark hair primly while pointedly ignoring me. I patted his head and gave him a piece of dried fish. I decided to fry up some plantains in coconut oil, and Ollie tried to sneak a piece or two. I finally just chopped him up his own fruit and pushed it to the side for him. "These ones are for you, Ollie, right here," I said pointing to his pile of plantain pieces. He whooped in thanks and snapped up a few pieces of fruit, then swung back up over Chauncey's head to enjoy his spoils.

I smirked as I watched chewed pieces of drool-covered plantain dripping down into her hair, but I didn't say a word. I just smiled at Jacob on the ground next to me, trying to pass off my mirth as being enthralled by my son.

Chauncey figure out something was dripping into her hair, screaming in disgust when she figured out what it was. "OH, MY GOD! That's just disgusting! Get away from me, you little rat!" she screamed and picked up a rock from the cave floor and hurled it at Ollie. She really shouldn't have done that.

"Hey, he's just a baby!" I scolded. "Don't you dare throw stuff at him!"

"Stop throwing shit!" Polly squawked just as I saw Ollie leaning over, fingering his butt.

"That disgusting little monster drooled in my hair!"

"Because he's a baby!"

"I have to get out of here! Where do you wash up?"

"The waterfall, but as long as the pirates are here, we're confined to the cave, you can't leave."

"Well, you're not the boss of me, you can't tell me to do anything," she spat hatefully at me. Ollie looked like he was starting to strain a little. Oh, god, this was going to be war.

I was really ready to just beat the shit out of this girl myself.

"Enough! Can't a man sleep around here?" Edward said groggily, stumbling over to me and wrapping me up in his arms. He leaned down and rested his head on my shoulder, and Chauncey looked him up and down appreciatively. "Eggs?" he asked confused. "I thought we'd sworn off plain eggs?"

"Well, we did, but Ms. Chauncey over there decided to feed our breakfast to the chickens, while I took care of Jacob this morning, leaving us with nothing but eggs," I complained.

He looked up at Chauncey. "You like eggs?"

She shrugged in response. He let out a huff. "We try and stay away from the eggs, since that's all _we've_ had for months now, so if you want eggs instead of pancakes, we'd thank you not to waste _our_ food and make your own damn breakfast," he grumped surprising me. I had forgotten how rude and gruff Edward could be.

He picked up Jacob and sat down where we usually ate, waiting for me to bring over the food. I smiled, kissing his lips softly as I passed him his plate with some food on it for Jacob as well. He smiled at me and winked, letting me know his anger wasn't directed at me.

Jacob bounced in his lap, excited to eat.

"How's my big boy this morning?" Edward asked sweetly. It made me see how different he was with us compared to others, and I loved him for it.

"Whatever," Chauncey huffed rudely and stood up to stomp off. Just as she turned, Ollie took aim and hit her dead on with a handful of smelly retribution, splattering her face and hair full of soft wet monkey shit.

"Stop throwing shit!" Polly squawked. Ollie just squealed and chattered excitedly as Chauncey stood there screaming obscenities at him. I quickly covered Jake's ears, trying my best to hold in my giggles. I looked up at Edward, and he was slumping over, vibrating with suppressed laughter.

I think Ollie might have just gained back a little of Edward's favor.

**EDWARD**

I went back down to the beach after breakfast. I needed to make sure my patient was recovering from the surgery. Just as I stepped into the camp, I could see a ruckus starting. A few of the men were fighting. I noticed one of them was Chauncey's brother. The guy he was fighting wanted to know where she was, but the tone of his thoughts was not sinister. From what I could tell, this guy was worried about her. He should have been, as I was pretty sure Bella could only take so much more of her bad attitude.

I walked into my makeshift operating room and switched out the injured man's bag of fluid. I checked his leeches, and they seemed to be doing good work, so I removed a couple of them and put them in a dish, just in case I needed to use them again.

A few minutes later, the guy who had been fighting with Beau was brought in. I went right to work on him. He probably would've died if I hadn't been around to sew him up. Beau was lethal. I couldn't imagine the captain was happy about having another wounded hand. Speaking of which, he came storming in. "What the hell is going on in here?" he shouted directing his words at my patient.

I worked quietly, letting the discussion go on around me.

"He can't take her from me! He's hidden her, Sir! He took Chauncey off and hid her!" the man I was sewing up shouted back.

"On my orders! She was a troublemaker and you know it," Captain Tagger complained. "I will not have her on my ship. She's being marooned here with the doctor."

"No, you can't leave her here!" he started freaking out.

"Settle down, you're going to tear your stitches," I said pushing him back down on the table they'd brought in last night. This guy's thoughts were freaking out, because he was in love with Chauncey. Too bad she didn't return his affections. From what I could tell from her thoughts, she liked to seduce men to get what she wanted. She was sadly mistaken that this method would work on me as well. The only one able to seduce me was Bella.

Of course, speak of the devil and she would appear. I was surprised to hear my love's voice yelling for me and cursing coming from Chauncey. Bella was pulling her by the hair into the pirate's camp. Several of the pirates perked up at the girls' appearance, and I was grateful for Beau quickly telling them, "Hands off the doctor's family."

It was then that I put my last quick stitch into the lovesick fool and ran out to meet them. Bella had Jacob on her back and a handful of Chauncey's hair gripped firmly in her fist. She shoved her forward. "She can't stay. The bitch is not going to survive with me on this island."

Somehow, I had seen this coming.

I quickly wrapped my arms around Bella, checking her over to make sure she was okay. It was then I saw a teary-eyed Jacob crying on her back, with a huge, dark-red hand mark across his little face. I gently touched him and kissed his face. He burst into sobs, crying for Da-Da. I spun around and glared down at Chauncey. "You raised a hand to my SON? You're lucky I was raised right and don't hit women, or I'd tear you apart!" I snapped my eyes to Captain Tagger, "I'm sorry, Sir, but I can't stand for this. She can't stay!" I grabbed my Bella's arm and started out of camp. Of course, I should've known it wouldn't be that easy. We were quickly surrounded under the captain's orders, and he grabbed Chauncey roughly, throwing her on the ground in front of us.

"She's staying with you!" Captain Tagger commanded. "This little whore has caused enough trouble on my ship!"

His mind flickered to her doing several obscene things to him and how pissed he was to find her doing it to a few of the other shipmates as well. When she vomited a few days ago, he suspected she was pregnant, but there was no telling who the father was. Apparently, Chauncey was a flirty whore who had been trying to get into the Captain's pants for a while now.

"I can't keep a pregnant woman on the island. Even with what you have here, I don't think I could safely deliver the baby." Everyone's eyes shot to me.

The captain grimaced. He hadn't wanted that to get out. The man I'd just sewn up was quickly at Chauncey's side. "We're having a baby?" he asked in awe, and I felt kind of bad for him.

Chauncey, the bitch she was, shoved him away. "No, you idiot, get away from me."

The man looked up at me, sad and confused. Beau looked ready to kill someone, namely the guy who wanted the baby. The captain put his hand out, stopping him. "Beau, your sister hasn't been pure for a long time, so you need to just settle down. This little bitch has been wreaking havoc, not because no one is fucking her, but because everyone _is,_ and the little whore was even fucking me! So don't start! We didn't rape her; she came to us. She wanted it." He turned and caressed Chauncey's face. "Ain't that right, sugar, you like riding your captain." She smiled in response. She actually loved him, but she had screwed everything up by fucking half the crew, or maybe more. "The problem is, she's having a little bastard, and no one knows who the fuck the father is."

"Sir, if I may interject," I politely tried to interrupt. "I'm sure there are several homes for pregnant mothers in the port town of Houston, the size of it would suggest so. I'm sure she could get into one of those, where she'd be safe, and there she could have a healthy and safe delivery," I said looking at Beau, "And as for finding out who the father is, that would only take a DNA sample to clear that up."

"Will you all shut up! I'm not pregnant!" she shouted.

The captain shook his head. "She's in denial. I know the signs. She isn't the first whore I've laid with."

"Well, I can clear this up quite easily. Chauncey, would you step into my office?"

She smiled and winked at me, and I grimace at her thoughts. She really was a whore. "Bella, would you please assist?" I asked not wanting to be alone with this girl.

Bella nodded and surprised me by handing our son to Captain Tagger. She followed me into the tent and grimaced at the sight of my other patient. "Is he alive?" she asked nervously.

"Barely, but yes." I directed Chauncey to climb up on the table and held Bella in my arms, trying to block out the sick thoughts Chauncey was thinking. "I don't have the appropriate tests, so I'm going to just check your cervix. If it's closed, you're most likely pregnant or suffering from a bad infection. Either way, if it's closed, you'll need to go to a real OB/GYN and get checked out."

She rolled her eyes at me. I snapped on my gloves, not thrilled about what I was going to do. Once I checked her, I got out of there fast. "Closed," was all I said, and apparently the guys outside the tent had been listening, because I heard a bunch of swearing.

I stepped outside, followed by Bella. We were watching the pirates react, and the captain was swearing as well. Next thing I knew, Jacob shouted, "Bathsard!" My eyes widened, Bella's narrowed and the captain smiled.

He started laughing. "You got a right funny boy here, doc," he said handing me my son.

I took him proudly. Bella continued to glare at me. "What? When you use the word in the appropriate context, it's not considered swearing," I defended.

She rolled her eyes at me, and I kissed her cheek. The captain patted her shoulder. "Sorry, Ma'am, I know most mothers look down on raw language like that."

"Yes, well, fathers should, too, but I see that's not going to happen," she said still glaring at me.

"Ah, baby," I whined not wanting her to be upset.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Fine, you can make it up to me tonight."

I kissed her soundly on the lips, and she headed back into the jungle. "I'm just going to walk her back home."

The captain nodded his head in agreement, and I hurried Bella away from the pirates.

The less they saw of her, the better.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Several of you asked what happened while Edward was at the pirate camp…well, here it is. **

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma made this chapter great by writing Emmett's point of view and adding some extra flare to Bella's. I hope you let her know you enjoyed it. Oh, and she is also the beta cause she can multitask like that. YOU GO GIRL!**

**Chapter 39 - Unhinged**

**BELLA**

Damn goats! This morning couldn't have gotten any more insane. Chauncey had ruined our breakfast, but Ollie had gotten revenge for me. I think after his last bout of shit throwing, he was growing on Edward. Once Edward left, though, all hell broke loose.

I had showed Chauncey where the water in the cave was to clean up, and then I let her make her own eggs, which Ollie found interesting and kept throwing things into her food without her knowledge. Thankfully, Chauncey had managed to burn her own eggs and didn't notice the extra "seasoning" Ollie had provided. That last beetle he'd squeezed over them was quite juicy.

I needed to feed the goats and headed that way with Jake and the chickens. Ollie decided to attack Chauncey again, throwing dirt clods and more shit at her, since she had thrown stuff at him. I didn't say anything. Turnabout was fair play after all.

She finally came screaming after me, so I told Polly to tell Ollie to stop it. Of course, this incited Ollie to drop down onto Chauncey's head, causing her to scream bloody murder as the two went at each other. Ollie was slapping her everywhere he could reach and dodging her hands, finally pissing on the top of her head, before leaping off for a vine with a big lock of Chauncey's hair in his grip. While I was distracted by her, Jake had opened the gate, releasing the goats. In his defense, we usually did release the goats and took them outside in the mornings. That was just not the plan for today, since the pirates were still visiting.

Sam had been quietly watching this whole mess, until I hollered at him to go get the goats. He went barking down the cave passage after them, getting Ollie's attention, who decided to go after the goats as well. I saw him jump down on one just as they turned the corner, doing his best impression of a jockey. Polly flew after the herd, squawking, "Little bastard!" repeatedly. That had the flustered chickens mixed into the fray, trying to get away from the stampeding goats. I looked down at Jake, and he just smiled at me. "Out," he said looking too cute.

"Where's my room!" Chauncey snapped. "I want a room right now, so I can get away from your insane indoor jungle!"

I shifted the polished metal, so it would reflect down the unexplored cave passage. "Go ahead and go down that way and see if you can find something. Watch out for the bugs, though, as the chickens are full on pancakes, so they won't be clearing them out for you," I snapped, still pissed that she'd wasted my good food and hard work.

She whined and threw her hairbrush down on the table, stomping down the passage. I started running after the goats, calling to them and yelling for Jake to follow me. I had caught site of the goats, who were trying to break down and chew through the blockade Edward had put up. I started shooing them back toward their pen. "Sorry, guys, not today. We don't want you to become dinner."

Sam was a good herding dog and got them to head in the right direction. Ollie jumped onto one of my shoulders, and Polly perched herself on the other. We were moving slowly back toward the pen. Jake was running pretty well now, and he took off into the main room. Polly flew up over Jake's head, perching on one of the roots in the ceiling and began whistling _Pop Goes the Weasel_, as Jake tried to sing along with her. Sam and I continued around the corner with the goats, and I could hear Jake start laughing and cooing to one of the chickens. I suddenly heard a loud smack, followed by Jake letting out an ear-piercing scream, and then he started crying loudly.

Sam and I both started running back to him. I quickly swept my crying baby up in my arms, and Sam charged forward, barking and snarling at Chauncey, pinning her against the wall.

It was then I noticed Jake was holding his quivering little hand near his face. He had an angry bright-red handprint covering his entire cheek that was quickly swelling and bruising. "YOU HIT MY BABY?"

"The little bastard was using my hairbrush on one of your fucking chickens!" she screamed back at me. The look on my face must have been positively homicidal, because she paled, and she was right to do so, because I was going to beat the holy shit out of her for touching my baby! All the screaming was upsetting Polly, and she let loose, splattering Chauncey's freshly-cleaned hair full of slimy bird shit. I grabbed her and threw her towards the ladder. "You'd better run, bitch, because you're going down!"

I grabbed the carrier and quickly tucked Jake into it, letting him cuddle on my back, as I stomped after that damn bitch. I could hear her tearing through the jungle, but I knew just where she was headed and cut her off. I grabbed her by her hair and yanked her off balance, ending up with a handful of bird shit in the process. "You're getting the fuck off my island!" I growled, dragging her by the hair of her head toward the camp. She finally made it up onto her feet as we emerged from the jungle, and I planted my shit-covered hand in the middle of her back and shoved, causing her to stumble into the camp.

"EDWARD!" I didn't care who the fuck saw me. I was so pissed, I was sure I could take anyone down at this point. "EDWARD!" I shouted again, glaring at the inhabitants of the little makeshift camp.

He came hurrying out, and when he saw what she'd done, I thought he was going to kill her himself. I was glad he agreed with me. There was no way she would survive between the two of us, if she stayed on the island. The captain wasn't so bad, but my hunch about Chauncey was right. That girl was a whore and a troublemaker, one that nobody wanted around, and we were all glad to be rid of her. Little bitch had better grow up and learn that the world did not revolve around her!

Edward walked me back home, holding Jake close, kissing his sore cheek. He was apologizing softly for letting that terror of a woman into our home and promised never to do it again. When we climbed down into the cave, we stood in shock. The goats had been left out in my haste to get back to Jake, and the place was a disaster. Sam was keeping the goats out of our room, and Ollie was hanging from the ceiling, clutching a banana bunch to himself. He dropped down onto my shoulder and started screeching and whooping as he pointed at the goats. He was not happy with them.

Polly swooped down squawking at the goats, "Run, Bitch!"

Edward looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, she hurt my baby."

"Oh, I'm not surprised by the language, just that you gave her a running head start."

**CHARLIE**

Margaret had a nephew who was a cop, so she brought him in to work with us. We needed someone in this jurisdiction. I was more than a little unsettled to hear they'd had a dirty cop come in and hold them at gunpoint. I understood what Alice meant about Rosalie handling herself.

I met Officer Newton on the corner and led him back to Emmett's. I walked straight in, because knocking was a sign of danger. Once we were inside and the door was shut, I turned to him. "Son, this case is big and it's bad. This will make your career if we can blow it wide open, without getting blown away ourselves."

He nodded in response.

"What I'm about to show you and inform you of cannot be leaked to anyone in your department. They have plants there. That's why we made sure we got you. We know you're clean."

"Plants?"

"Yup, as I said, BIG." We walked into living room, and I introduced him to everyone.

Rosalie explained our problem with the dirty judge and crooked law firm. Her guy, Demetri, had found several properties that were put in the dirty judge's wife's name, just days after each of his corrupted cases. The trail was looking as clear as the yellow brick road.

**EMMETT**

I think we were going in circles. At least that was what it felt like. I was regretting not getting that bottle of booze back in Florida now. Captain What-the-fuck was hopping around the deck of the boat, singing some song about fingering a mate and swimming with some dude named Davey. Sounded kind of gay to me. Alice was right there with him, smiling and laughing along with the insanity. I had pretty much concluded that they were both a few clams shy of a chowder. He pulled out a scope and was making a show of searching the horizon, becoming suddenly excited.

"LAND HO, YE LANDLUBBERS!" the captain yelled. It was about damn time. I stood up to see what he was hollering about and spotted the dot of land on the horizon. As we got closer, I figured out that it wasn't the deserted island we were looking for. Quite the contrary, the place was packed with tourists. We'd found the Bahamas.

Not that I didn't enjoy ogling a few skimpy bikinis and drinking a fruity drink or two while lying broadsided on the beach sunning my junk, but we weren't on fucking vacation. I was about to say something about continuing to look for the island, when Alice started jumping up and down.

"They have great shopping here! We can check out the markets and pick up some souvenirs while we're here. Ooh and I want to get some new clothes for Bella and Edward. I'm sure they're sick of wearing the same two outfits for months now. Jacob is going to need some bigger things as well. He's really grown a lot…"

She continued to rattle on as we pulled up to a marina. The docking fee was outrageous, but I managed to talk the guy down. That was until Captain Idiot decided to jump in on the negotiations, offering to pay the dude in pirate booty. The captain really needed to watch his mouth, because the guy was looking him up and down like a Chinese menu and was a little too eager to order the Pu Pu platter.

We finally got things settled with the boat and headed into town. I tried to convince them to leave the bird on the ship, but Alice assured me everything would be fine. It was just about lunch time when we hit town, and I was ready to sink my teeth into something that I didn't have to find the can opener for, when I heard it.

"Swallow it, bitch!" the damn bird squawked from the captain's shoulder at some chick walking past us, deep-throating a large melting popsicle. The girl was startled and began to choke. Her boyfriend seemed to be torn between wanting to perform the Heimlich maneuver on her and kicking the captain's ass. Thankfully, he chose to save his girlfriend, and I was able to get them the fuck out of harm's way. Getting arrested for brawling would be all I'd need right now.

We managed to find a little seaside burger stand, and I stuffed down two large cheeseburgers with everything, before I was ready to take on the marketplace. The captain was looking more and more unhinged the further into the throngs of people we ventured, but Alice had him by the hand, dragging him from vender to vender, buying everything under the sun. He was twitching, and his eyes were getting that wild, feral look, as if he was looking for the closest exit. He'd obviously spent too much time on his boat and away from people.

I was beginning to feel like a fucking pack mule as Alice loaded me down with shopping bags, and I was about ready to confiscate her credit cards. The captain was sweating profusely and looked like he was about to pop a nut, so I got Tinkerbelle to start heading back toward the marina.

We were knee deep in tourists wearing ugly clothes and paying too damn much for imported shit, when some fucking old tight-fisted geezer with a New York accent started an argument with his ugly-assed wife about blowing money on useless tourist shit.

"Well, listen to Mr. 'If it's retail it's robbery' smuck. Never mind, Murray, I'll just tell my mother you couldn't be bothered to get her a two-dollar refrigerator magnet. She gives birth to a nice girl, so you can have someone to do your laundry, and this is how you repay her. I see how you are, Murray. I should've married that doctor my mother liked so much. I'd bet after twenty-five years of marriage, he's be honored to buy my mother a refrigerator magnet."

"Knock it off, Sheila! This placed is nothing but an overpriced tourist trap. IT'S A G-D TRAP I tell you!"

"IT'S A TRAP! Rraaark!" that damn parrot squawked, picking up yet another useful phrase.

That was all it took to send the captain over the edge. He ran screaming, "It's a trap! Run for your lives!" through the marketplace, the bird squawking obscenities and trying to hang on to his shoulder the whole way. He managed to find his way out of the market, damn near causing a riot as he bolted through the crowds. Alice and I caught up to him just as he hit the marina and made a beeline for the boat.

Alice went to calm him down, and I dumped her shopping bags on the deck and went in search of a damn liquor store. There was no way I was going to survive the rest of this trip sailing with Captain Quirk without a little help from Captain Morgan, that was for damn sure.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	40. Chapter 40

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers, and **

**Dollybigmomma wrote Emmett's point of view, which I know you all love. She's also my awesome beta, so give my girl some props!**

**Chapter 40 - Clean Up on Isle Mine**

**EDWARD**

The place was a fucking mess. I mean completely destroyed. The goats had decided to take a bite out of everything. The only things that survived were locked in the trunks and jars. Even the fucking baskets Bella had worked so hard on had bites taken out of them. They had eaten all the herbs and much of the corn we'd harvested that Bella had sitting in a basket. They chew up the boxes left by Chauncey, spreading all sorts of goods all over the floor. I was pretty sure a goat had eaten some condoms, as I found an empty condom box and kicked it. It wasn't as if they'd worked for her, anyway.

Bella found something in the corner of the cave and started crying. She picked it up and then turned, shouting at the goats. "HOW COULD YOU! Of all the shit that bitch brought that you could've eaten, why this? WHY? Why the FUCKING TOILET PAPER!"

The goat she was yelling at just stood there, still focused on the roll in her hand. "YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" she shouted at the goat, which didn't even flinch or look away from the roll. I think my girl was losing it. I hurried over and grabbed the goat by the horns, literally. "I'll put them in the corral, babe. You see what you can salvage." She slumped down, sobbing over the little toilet paper that was left. As I gathered the goats, I noticed several had splats of monkey shit on their backs. It must have been a warzone in here while we were gone. Oliver was still hanging from the ceiling, holding the plantains to him, occasionally screeching as the goats passed by him. He'd better not throw shit in my direction. I was so not in the mood.

Once I got the goats put away, I was able to truly assess the damage. We had a lot of cleaning up to do, but they were still expecting me back on the beach. I needed to check on my patient again.

I went to check on our rooms, but Sam had been successful with keeping the goats out, so at least we would have a place to crash at the end of this mess. "Good boy, Sam," I said rubbing his head. "I'm sorry we left you to look after them alone."

Jake made his way over to us, and Sam licked his sore, tear-stained cheek. Jake threw his arms around Sam, and Sam rested his head on Jake's shoulder, as if he was hugging him back. "Good dog, Sam. Thanks for looking after my family," I said petting him.

Jake curled up in my lap, as Bella started picking up things off the ground, sounding more and more frustrated as she went. I knew this was not a good time to leave her, but I knew they'd be looking for me to come back. "Bella, I need to go check on my patient."

She huffed and closed her eyes. "The half-dead guy?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's still touch and go. I shouldn't stay away from him for too long."

She nodded and surprised me by pulling me down to kiss her. I was so glad she understood. That was another reason I'd never had a social life. My job kept me busy at odd hours. I didn't mind using my work as an excuse to avoid people anyways, but now it was different. I actually had someone I wanted to be around and knew she'd miss me. I nuzzled into her neck, kissing her there as well.

"You have a lot of making up to do, young man," she said in a teasing, scolding tone as I pulled away.

"I promise, Ma'am, I'll make it up to you tenfold, scouts' honor," I said holding up my hand.

She just smirked, whacking my arm. "Fine, I'll be waiting, and expecting ten in my fold." She winked at me and walked off toward the back of the cave.

That girl would be the death of me.

**BELLA**

Goat shit was everywhere. I knew it was a great fertilizer, but I wasn't trying to grow anything on my kitchen floor. I took a large basket with several big bites taken out of the top of it and started scooping the crap into it. Jake was following me closely, making it difficult to work without stepping on him. Poor little guy had obviously been traumatized by that evil woman, making him clingy. I finally just put him back in the carrier and let him cuddle on my back. I didn't blame him for wanting to stay close to us. I felt horrible that she'd hurt my baby on my watch.

Once I had the goat crap cleaned up, I took it outside, dumping it by the garden. I figured Edward could spread it around where he thought it should be. I took a stiff broken branch with several twigs and used it like a broom, or I guess more like a rake, and raked everything into pile, so I could sort through it and put it away.

It was getting late, and I used what I could salvage to make dinner. As I worked, Polly came down next to me. I think she was thankful that some semblance of order had been restored. I gave Jake his dinner, but he didn't want to leave my side, so just for tonight, I let him snuggle with me on my bed as we waited for Edward's return.

**EMMETT**

"Blow, Blow, Blow the man down!" I was singing good and loud now. I'd bet they could hear me all the way to Cuba! Damn, that was a fucking good song, even if it did sound like something from a gay porno. Not that I'd ever watched a gay porno. My man pole was strictly against bein' stuck in the mud. "Hey, Cap'n Whatnot, whasa nes verz?" I asked as I tried to stand up. The boat seemed to be rocking a little more than earlier. Must be a storm brewing. Me and Captain Morgan had been tight all day, and things were getting a little fuzzy. Their singing had improved over the course of the day, though, so I must've been doing something right.

"Officer Cullen, you're inebriated, Sir!" a very serious-looking pair of Captains glared down at me. How had these bozos become so straight-laced all of a sudden? And why were there now two of them? Then they lifted the bottle we'd been sharing and drained it. Who knew getting wasted made our illustrious leader go sane? Or was it leaders? I think I remembered there only being one at one point. It was a good thing I'd bought three bottles. I was seriously thinking about keeping their asses juiced. "I think you should go lie down, Officer Cullen. You don't look so good."

They blended into one captain again for a minute, so I made my way over to him, stumbling to his side and wrapping my arm around his shoulder to steady myself.

"Wha happen to you? You werrrr so mush fun before, Cappy, why not now? Dontcha like me no more?" I pouted laying my head on his shoulder. He was being a spoilsport, not singing with me anymore.

"Officer Cullen, unhand me before I have to restrict you to your cabin!" Cappy shouted at me, and I wanted to cry. I hated when people shouted at me. I really hated being locked up, too. It made me scared. That was why Edward took the fall for me. He knew I'd cry and be scared if they locked me up. I hated jail. It was like being in a cage. I wanted my brother and started bawling on the captain's shoulder like a big baby.

"Hey, Emmett, why don't you come sit down with me and drink some of this," Alice said and pulled me off the captain. She sat down with me and gave me a bottle of water. I lay down on the banquette with my head in her lap and sucked on the bottle of water she gave me. We were in the middle of the ocean now, with no signs of land anywhere. It was scary.

"Alice, you won't let him lock me up, will you?" I asked, starting to cry again. She ran her fingers through my curls and whispered soothing words to me until I stopped sniffling. That reminded me of my mommy. I fell asleep quickly as Alice sang softly to me like mommy used to.

I woke up the next morning to something wet dripping into my ear. I looked up straight into that damn bird's ass. It was perched on the railing near my head as it squirted another shot of crap at me, just barely missing my face. I tried to stand up quickly, only to have an arm clinch around my waist, holding me tight. I looked back and about pissed myself to see Captain Oh-No-The-Fuck-You Didn't spooning me. This couldn't be happening. I reached back to make sure my backdoor was still shut tightly and knocked into something I prayed I'd never have the dishonor of touching…another guy's morning wood.

"Not even on a fucking dare," I growled and pried his arm loose, losing my footing in a pile of bird shit and going down hard on my ass.

"Fuck me sideways!" I shouted in pain as my tailbone connected loudly with the hard deck.

"That costs extra, sailor! Rraawk!" the damn bird squawked as it danced back and forth on the railing. The raunchy little bastard started making laughing noises at me as he bobbed his head up and down wildly, his fucking beady little eyes sparkling as if he'd heard a really funny joke.

I made to lunge at him, and he flapped up over my head, landing on the roof of boat cabin. I slipped again, falling onto the captain, causing him to jolt awake and scream in pain as my face landed squarely into his junk. "Suck it harder! Swallow it, bitch!" the bird squawked, and Captain Cock leaned up and looked down at me as I was trying to get traction enough to disengage my face from his promised-to be-my-nightmare land. I finally sat up enough to grab the empty Captain Morgan bottle and chucked it at the laughing bird, barely missing him. I was going to pluck his feathery little ass one of these days!

The captain and I sat there staring at each other for a second. "This never happened," I said looking at him pointedly.

"Aye, matey, agreed," he said looking at me seriously. "Davey Jones, 'e'll own me first afore I wag me tongue on the matter."

Well said. Strangely and somewhat disturbingly said, but well said indeed.

**CHARLIE**

With the help of the judges, lawyers, a DA, and a cop, we were building a pretty damn airtight case against Judge Caius. The Volturi law group was going to be a little more difficult to pin down. Unless their clients came forward and told us they'd lied, they could hide under the guise of not being informed of the truth. The only way we were going to get them would be to turn Judge Caius against them. Hopefully, he'd have more damning evidence we could use.

Rosalie received an odd text from her weird sister. It said, "Ask about the man, and check your e-mail."

"What man?" Could that little girl have been anymore cryptic?

"I'll know when it's time. I've gotten used to her odd prompts, don't worry about it," Rose brushed it off. I wondered if she really would know who to ask about.

She checked her e-mail like she was told and found an e-mail from Judge Caius. He'd found out we were digging into him, and he was getting nervous. He wanted to meet up with Rose and asked her to think about any incentives she might have had an interest in. He worded it all very carefully, so as not to condemn himself. The problem was he already had.

**A/N: I know we made you laugh, so now tell us what you loved! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	41. Chapter 41

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta master as always, she also helps with the writing of Em's pov. **

**Chapter 41 - Storms Ahead**

**EDWARD**

Captain Tagger was anxious to get to port in Galveston and drop off Chauncey. Beau was furious with her and had decided to stay with her in Texas. Apparently, they had a great-aunt or something that lived just north of Houston.

They were packing up the ship and getting her ready to sail as I worked on the injured man, trying to stabilize him enough to sail with them. He had been doing a lot better after that last operation, but it was still hard to tell. I told the captain as much, and he thanked me for my effort. I sat with him late into the night, making sure he was well-hydrated, and his feeding tube was in place before they left.

The captain took me to where they were keeping him, and I went over his care with Chauncey and another fellow who would be helping the man. Once they had him settled in the bed and ready to go, I still waited with him for a while longer, watching to make sure he was still going in the right direction. It was surprising how quickly a patient could go downhill at the drop of a hat, and I hated that I wouldn't be there to stop it if it happened.

There was a very good chance this fellow would die, but I was hoping I was wrong. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked at me confused as he took in his surroundings. "Hey, I'm Dr. Cullen, you need to drink lots of water and stay down. Your wound needs to stay clean, and you can only be tube fed for a while, because I had to remove part of your intestine that'd been damaged," I pointed out the tubes. "That's what that tube is for. You're also hooked up so you don't have to get up to go to the bathroom. I've shown a couple of the crew how to change out the bags for you, so there's no reason for you to get up. Do you understand? It's of vital importance that you stay down and not rip your stitches or reopen your wound. There isn't enough skin to cover it all, so it's very important that you don't disturb it."

He nodded, and I smiled.

"It's good that you're awake. I hope the next time I see you, you're well." He gave me a worried smile. "Remember, absolutely no alcohol or smoking. You don't have enough liver for the drink anymore, the smoke will inhibit healing, and believe me, you can use all the help you can get."

His mind was worried and scared. He wanted to see his grandmother. There was a pearl necklace he had hidden in his quarters he was keeping for her. He wanted to give it to her for her birthday, but wasn't sure now if he would make it. He worried that she'd be alone. She lived in New Orleans, and he wondered how she'd faired this hurricane season. The wind was coming from the south again. That was never a good sign.

I met with Captain Tagger one more time and wished them a safe voyage. They were eager to get ahead of the storm, and I hoped they did. I watched them, until they were well away from the island out on the ocean and on their way.

I hurried back toward the cave, watching the dark clouds rolling in on the horizon. I wondered if we had enough food left after the goat's mess to make it through another storm. I pulled off my shirt and pants and tied them into sacks. I filled the shirt full of all the ripe fruit I could find and what few vegetables we still had left growing and filled my pants full of grain tops, being careful to keep an eye out for the mountain lions. I suspected with the approaching storm, though, that they had sought shelter deeper into the jungle.

When I finally made it into the cave, I was surprised to see it was completely clean. Bella had wasted no time taking care of the goat mess. There was a small bowl with what looked like leftovers in it for me, so I ate it quickly and went looking for her.

I found her in our bed, with little Jake lying across her stomach. I wasn't surprised to find him there, after what had happened. I changed and snuggled in next to her. I moved Jake off of her and pulled her back against me. She rolled over in her sleep and snuggled into me as I held her.

I hoped with the coming storm that we'd be alright.

**EMMETT**

Holy hell! The ocean had gone from reasonably calm, to a freaking washing machine in a matter of hours. The captain had been quiet since our morning wakeup call that shall never again be mentioned, and that was fine with me. He had spent the morning going over the maps with Alice, plotting a course. Between the pitching waves and my hangover, I wasn't in much of a condition to contribute with my head hanging over the side of the boat.

I finally donated the last of my intestines to King Triton and made my way into the bridge, where the captain and Tinkerbelle were eyeing the sky warily. Dark, boiling clouds had overtaken us, and the smell of rain was heavy in the thick humid air. They had a shortwave radio on the NOAA weather radio channel, and it sounded like we were in for some choppy weather from a tropical depression developing in the Caribbean. They were expecting it to strengthen over the next twenty-four hours, which was bad news for us.

"If that thing turns into a hurricane, we're going to need to find a parking place in a hurry. Any speculation as to when we might be finding the island?" I asked Alice.

"We may be able to make it to the island before the storm, but I'm not sure if I can find them and get us safely into the shelter in time. We can't be out in this storm! It's only going to be a category one hurricane when it hits the island, but it's going to blow up into a huge storm before it hits the U.S. coast. I'm not sure what to do," she huffed, and I had a feeling that was a first for her.

"We can make it to the island, but I can't guarantee the ship's survival of the storm or our own! We can head to port, but again, the ship will be threatened, and it'll be by a much larger hurricane, causing immense damage! The island is the only place the ship has a chance, but I'm not sure we will! We'd have to hurry. Can you make the ship go faster?" she asked Captain Whitlock, looking up at the sails.

He nodded yes and disappeared. We heard a soft hum, and the ship jerked forward, picking up considerable speed. I looked at the pixie and she smiled.

"That should do it. We should get there in time!" she said squealing and jumped into the arms of our captain. They quickly plotted a course to the island. We were going to have to go around part of it, so the ship wouldn't be damaged by the coral reefs that surrounded part of the island. Then Alice insisted we had to pull the damn ship ashore. I wasn't even sure that was possible, but the captain seemed to think it was. We had to beach the ship, and all I could think was that we were finally getting there. We were finally going to make it to the island!

**BELLA**

I woke to Edward pressing his cock against me and squeezing my breast. He let out a groan in his sleep and whispered my name. Apparently, he was having a good dream. I smiled at him and then looked across our bed at Jake sleeping. He was starting to stir, and I didn't want him to catch Edward feeling me up. I started to unwind Edward's arms from me, but he tightened his grip and complained. "Mine," he mumbled, and it made me smile. I leaned down and kissed his nose. Maybe later tonight I could get Jake into his own bed and we could finally be alone.

I pulled away, kissing his lips softly, and he finally started to release me with a groan of discontent. "I'm sorry, baby," I whispered as I moved off the bed. I headed for the hidden entrance and started removing the blockade. I needed to let the goats out for the day.

Sam heard me up and came to give me moral support. When I finally got the door open, I realized the sky was heavily overcast. I didn't know if I should take the goats out or not. I didn't want them to panic and scatter like in the last storm.

I walked back through our kitchen and found Edward's pants and shirt full of food on my counter. Apparently, he had been aware of the approaching storm last night. I decided to do my best to keep an eye on the goats and let them out.

I pulled the debris that hid the entrance inside. I thought we could use it for firewood if we needed to, and I decided to grab the duffle bag. I had started making a mattress for Chauncey, but decided that I wouldn't mind using it as extra padding for our bed. I wanted to get more moss, before it got wet. I took it and the cart. When I went to let the goats out, the chickens all perked up, and I shushed them and told them to follow me as well. I needed their bug eating expertise while I collected the moss.

I figured I'd only stay out as long as the weather would allow. First sign of rain in the distance and I'd be moving the goats back inside. We couldn't risk losing any more of them.

I poked my head back in my room to make sure Jake was still sleeping and was surprised to find Ollie had made his way into my bed, filling my spot by snuggling into Edward. I had to muffle my laugh as Edward cuddled him closer, probably thinking it was me. I hoped I didn't smell like monkey, but when I sniffed myself, I knew that I probably did.

The goats were anxious and excited after being locked up for a few days. They were jumping over each other, trying to get to the pasture faster. They seemed to know where they were going and happily hurried ahead of me. I let Sam go ahead with them. I trusted him to keep an eye on them, while I did my best to fill the cart with moss. The chickens happily ate their breakfast, and Polly walked along with them, quietly getting her fill as well. I wondered if Polly recognized another storm was coming.

My efforts had taken us to the waterfall, and I looked around, wondering if the pirates had left or not. It was one thing to take the goats out, but it was another entirely to be caught naked by one of them.

I finished loading my cart and returned to the cave. I was surprised to find Edward up with Jake sitting in his lap. I truly thought Jake would sleep later.

"Hey, I'm sorry if he woke you up."

"Nah, it's fine. What do you have there?" he asked eyeing the cart.

"Well, I had pretty much sewn most of Chauncey's mattress, so I thought I'd stuff it and throw it on top of our bed."

He smiled. "That'd be nice. Sam watching the goats?" he asked.

"Yeah, I figured we'd come in, before it started to rain. I wish I could take a shower, though. The cave water smells like sulfur. Do you know when the pirates are leaving?"

"They're gone. You can go shower if you want." I looked down at little Jake. "Maybe I should take Jake to get cleaned up, too. It's been a while since he's had a good bath."

Edward smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said nothing in a way that didn't imply nothing.

I carried Jake down to the waterfall, happy to finally get us cleaned up. We were both getting to be a little gamey. It was when I was undressed and turned toward little Jake, who was watching me curiously, that I remembered Edward was probably watching me through him. That dirty boy. I giggled to myself.

"Come on, Jake, let's get cleaned up. Oh, and you tell that daddy of yours to come down and get you, so I can clean up on my own."

"Da-Da!" Jake shouted happily.

I washed Jake up, and Edward came and took him from me just like I knew he would. I wasn't surprised he'd been watching me. He dried Jake off, dressing him and then set him loose to chase after the chickens. I watched as he settled down on the bank and watched me shower shamelessly.

Toward the end of my shower, he noticed Ollie was keeping Jake busy and stripped down, joining me under the waterfall. "If we were in a regular shower, I'd take you against the wall right now," he growled out. "But as it is, there's no wall to press you up against."

I didn't let that stop me from grabbing his member. It was a bold move for me, but I knew he would love it. I was right.

I would make sure there was a wall for him to take me against tonight.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	42. Chapter 42

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover and my Emmett writer. Love her magic!**

**The lemon tree scene is for Special Agent English, who suggested a lemon in the lemon tree, and I loved the idea and ran with it. Thanks for reading! **

**Chapter 42 - Shake the Sugar Tree**

**EMMETT**

To say I'd been in some pretty shitty storms in my life would have been putting it mildly. As a football player, we'd played in everything motherfucking nature could throw at us, but I'd take any of that over what we were in right now.

"Avast, me hardies! Hold tight to ye skivvies, we're a outrunnin' Triton's fury, and he's out for blood!" the captain yelled as the boat dipped into a drop between two large swells. We bounced on the surface as the next wave pitched us up and dropped us again. I wasn't too proud at this point to admit that last one made me crap my Fruit of the Looms a little.

"Don't rough the muff, sailor! Rraaaawk!" the parrot squawked from the captain's shoulder, as the next wave pitched us sideways, causing us all to have to hang on to stay upright. We'd doused the sails to keep them from shredding and the mast from snapping, and we were running solely on the engines now.

It was starting to get darker, and I was freaking out thinking of having to be out in this shit after sundown, when the captain yelled, "LAND HO!"

Never had the word "ho" been spoken in a more beautiful context in my presence.

Alice directed the captain around the island past the coral reefs and into a small cove that offered a slight windbreak. He killed the engines and allowed the surf to push us toward the beach. Alice quickly loaded some things into a large plastic trash bag to take ashore, since the rain was falling pretty heavily now. Every few minutes, she'd stop and giggle hysterically and shake her head, and I wondered if the rough waves had knocked a few more of her screws loose.

At some point, Captain Bullshit produced a black sock and tied it diagonally across his head, hiding his left eye, like some ghetto pirate eye patch. Why in the hell he would cover up a perfectly good eye baffled the fuck out of me. I'd bet if he asked, Alice would've let him have that little black thong she was wearing that I could see peeking out over the back of her jeans. Those little straps of elastic probably would've held it on his head just about right, and he wouldn't have looked like such a dork, just a frat boy that'd had a great night at a sorority mixer. Ah, the good ole' days…

The keel finally hit bottom, causing the boat to pitch on its side. The captain pulled out the emergency life raft and pulled the cord, inflating it on the deck and settling Alice, the parrot and her bags into it, before he and I jumped into the surf, holding on to the lanyards. We hauled for all we were worth, fighting the rough surf and trying to make sure the life raft with Alice didn't drift off. We finally managed to get the boats to sand, and Alice jumped out and pulled the life raft ashore, while the captain and I put our backs into it, dragging the boat up the beach past the surf line. We both fell back into the sand panting, but jumped up quickly when a bolt of lightning shot across the sky right above us, followed instantly by a loud crack of thunder.

"We'd better get moving!" I yelled over the howling wind. We quickly deflated the life raft and stowed it under a couple of big rocks, before heading off into the green. By this point, the trees were starting to whip pretty hard, and we were dodging coconuts and debris as we wove through the jungle. We found where Alice said they had stayed when they'd first arrived on the island, but it was abandoned.

"EDWARD!" I started yelling, hoping he would be able to hear me over the storm. I was a little surprised he didn't hear me in his mind. I was yelling at him from there as well. He must have really been preoccupied with something not to know we were here. Alice giggled again, and I shot her a 'what the fuck' look, but she just grinned and shook her head.

We continued to trek through the jungle, me yelling Edward's name over the howling wind. We'd just made our way up over a rocky rise when I heard, "EMMETT?"

I turned around and saw my brother sticking up out of a fucking hole in the ground like a bronze-headed gopher. He looked better than I had ever seen him, and the smile he was sporting was the first one I'd seen on his face in over two years.

**BELLA**

After a very rousing shower full of dirty talking, I was ready to just forget Jacob was there and throw Edward down and ride him like the Pony Express. Of course, he had a bit more self-control and was able to pull away from me, teasing me to death. Yes, death, I was not over-exaggerating here. I was pretty sure I was going to die if I didn't get off.

Edward took Jacob to check on the goats, and I decided to fish as a distraction. I was pretty sure if I had my hormone levels tested right now, they would be off the charts. If I didn't have him soon, I'd explode.

I took all the fish I'd caught and cleaned them up, salting them so we'd have some meat for a while. I decided to go to the lemon tree and get a lemon to season them a little.

I was standing on a lower branch, trying to reach a few of the last lemons that were ripe, when I felt a hot hand on my ankle. I squealed, jumping in surprise.

Edward grabbed my hips, steadying me, "Careful, love."

"Hey, where's Jacob?" I asked.

"Sleeping, it's naptime. I thought I'd come and find you, and play out a little of what we talked about this morning." Before I could say anything, he had my shorts undone and was pulling them along with my panties down my legs. He helped me step out of them, still standing on the low branch, and then he surprised me by kissing my thighs.

"Edward, I don't think I can stand here if you're going to…"  
My words were cut off as I gasped for air. The way he manipulated my body with his mouth amazed me. My knees buckled, and I felt him gently lower me to the branch behind me, setting me at a comfortable height in front of him.

I heard a loud crack of thunder and saw a flash of lightening in the distance.

"The goats…" I moaned.

"Already put away," he said and kissed my hip. He quickly went back to work, adding his fingers to the mix, quickly sending me over the edge. His lips found mine just as the edge of the storm made it to us, and a light sprinkle started to rain down on us. He pressed against me, voicing his want with his body.

"Inside," I said begging, but he misunderstood and quickly snatched up my clothes, so we could head back to the cave.

We rushed into the entrance, and he slammed the wooden blockade behind us and pressed me against the rough cave wall, kissing me wildly. I pulled at his clothes, wanting them off. We finally had a few minutes alone, finally had time and energy to be together, and I wanted him more than anything.

We dropped our clothes quickly, and he lifted me at my waist. I wrapped my legs around him, feeling him press against my sweet folds. I rolled my hips, looking for friction as he attacked my neck with his lips. "Careful, baby, slow down," he groaned, but pressed hard against me, making us both moan. He carried me to our bedroom, the motion of his walking causing the most delicious friction, making me cry out his name. His hand gripped my ass tightly, squeezing so hard, but so good at the same time.

"Bella, please," he begged, but I wasn't sure for what.

"Please, take me, Edward." I knew we were supposed to play witchdoctor or whatever, but I didn't care about that anymore. I just wanted him now. "Please," I begged.

"Fuck, Bella," he groaned as he lay me down on the bed. He was right there, right against me. His lips found mine, devouring me quickly. His hands were busy working their magic, fingers paving the way for the monster he carried between his legs. His lips attacked my breasts, causing me to call out his name. My hand twined into his hair. My final release was imminent. It was finally going to happen. He kissed down my body, kissing over my center. "Are you ready for me?" he asked.

I nodded my head yes, barely able to breathe. There was no way I could speak my answer. He slowly moved up my body kissing his way as he went. I felt beautiful. I felt worshiped. I felt loved. This was perfect. This was how it should happen. He kissed me deeply and whispered that he loved me.

I felt his tip press against me, and the air stilled as the moment was finally going to happen.

"Edward!" I heard a muffled voice call to him.

I placed my hand on his chest, stopping him. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" he asked, but it was silent. "Just relax, baby, okay?" he said thinking I was just nervous and kissed me again, but I could have sworn I'd heard someone calling him.

I grabbed him, stopping him from doing anything, and he groaned. I knew I was dying to lose my virginity, too, but I didn't want to be interrupted if it was going to happen. "Bella, please," he begged and pumped into my hand. I stroked him a few times, trying to listen carefully over his heavy panting. He must have decided I wasn't ready yet, because he kissed down my neck to my breasts again, causing me to squeeze and pump faster in response. There was a loud crash of thunder outside, it was silent for a moment, and then I heard it again! I would swear to god I could hear someone calling Edward's name. He groaned and released all over my thighs.

When he came down off of his high, I passed him his shirt. "Edward, I swear I can hear someone calling your name. Please, go check it out. I can't do this unless I know we're completely alone."

He let out a huff. "Fine, but be ready for me when I come back," he warned slapping my behind and kissing me roughly. I moaned and wanted to pull him back down onto the bed. I suddenly didn't give a flying fuck who was out there.

Then I heard it again, and this time Edward did, too. He jumped into his boxers and ran up the ladder, shoving the top open. "EMMETT?"

"OH, THANK FUCKING GOD! It took you long enough! What the hell were you doing? Couldn't you have installed like a doorbell or something?" I heard the ranting get louder, and then I realized I'd left my day clothes in the front of the cave and my nightclothes were folded in a basket of clean laundry in the main room. Apparently, we had company. I quickly wrapped the sheet around me.

"Edward," I whisper-yelled, but he was too enthralled by the company we had to notice. He was hugging a huge man who was lifting him off the ground laughing, and then he picked up a tiny woman, laughing as he spun her around. There was another odd man standing back a little, with a parrot on his shoulder and what looked to be a sock tied over one of his eyes. "Edward," I called again. I still didn't get his attention, but I seemed to get the parrot's attention.

"Another girl's an extra fifty, sailor!" it squawked in my direction.

Everyone turned and looked at me, causing me to pull the sheet tighter. The big man punched Edward in the shoulder. "You dawg! No wonder it took you so long to answer the damn door! You were in the middle of servicing the plumbing!" he laughed loudly so it echoed through the cave.

"The baby," I called reminding Edward about Jake.

"Quiet, Em, you're going to wake up the baby," he said walking over to me and wrapping his arms around me. "I guess we can't finish this now," he said kissing my neck and nuzzling into my hair.

"My clothes are out by the front entrance," I whispered sheepishly.

He chuckled, kissing my lips, and then turned to his friends. "Hold on a second," he said and ran down the passage and grabbed my clothes, bringing them to me. He kissed me softly, walking me back into our room. "Hurry up, love, I'm anxious for you to meet my brother and Alice. I can't believe they made it. We're going home." He kissed my forehead and hurried out to his family. My chest tightened in panic. I hoped that they liked me.

**ROSE**

Judge Caius and I set up a meeting place. Of course, there was a wiretap on me. There was no way we were going to let this opportunity pass us by. Charlie kept pacing in front of the door as I gathered my things to leave. He looked stressed, and I thought it was sweet of him to worry. He'd asked to come with me twice already, and I told him no both times.

When he asked the third time, I wondered if Alice had told him that I shouldn't go alone. "Charlie, did Alice say anything to you about me meeting with the Judge?"

He frowned, and I could tell she had told him something. "She said something to you, what is it?"

He rubbed his hand through his hair, his frown firmly in place. "She said you could handle yourself."

I was so relieved to hear that. I nodded with a huge smile. I knew everything would turn out alright. "That I can."

"I don't know…" he eyed my cane.

I did come off looking like a bit of an invalid. I picked up my cane and sparked the taser end of it. "I took down the dirty cop. I'm not worried about a chubby old man."

He let out a sigh. "Well, I'm glad you're not going in unarmed."

"As my sister said, I can take care of myself."

He surprised me by giving me a one-armed hug and a gentle pat on the back. "We'll be listening for you. Any signs of distress and Newton and I will be there."

"I know." And I did. I started off to meet Judge Caius and saw them follow like we'd planned. I wasn't going to be alone, and I had a feeling that Caius wasn't really a threat. I did need to get more information from him on the Volturi law group, though. I think we'd all consider going a little easier on him if he helped us stop that scum.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	43. Chapter 43

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is the rock to how I roll.**

**Chapter 43 – Salvation and Damnation**

**EDWARD**

Bella emerged a few minutes later, and my eyes couldn't leave her. This was it. She said we'd be together, but I wanted to savor every moment, just in case that wasn't true. I didn't know what would happen when we made it back to the states. If the authorities found out I was alive, I'd be locked up again, and I didn't want to live like a fugitive for the rest of my life. I didn't know how this would work, but I wanted to be with Bella. I knew it was selfish of me, but I wanted her more than anything.

I wrapped my arm around her and introduced her to my brother, who promptly snatched her from my arms, giving her a bone-crunching hug. I knew it was bone crunching, because I heard her back cracking. I scolded Emmett and started to pull her back to me, when Alice grabbed her. What was this, Snatch Bella from Edward day? I wanted my girl back. Alice hugged her and gushed about how excited she was to finally meet her. I was finally able to pry Bella from Alice's arms, when Captain Sockhead bowed deeply, introducing himself as a pirate king. This was the guy saving us? We would've been safer with Captain Tagger and the pirates! His mind was all over the place, but frequently flashed to a dark-haired woman named Maria. He couldn't decide if he loved her or hated her, but one thing was for sure, he was in some serious pain over her. I got a flash of the image of Maria and a couple of guys engaged in a depraved act, and I knew why he was so upset. He wanted to sail away from it all, and that was what he was doing.

I was starting to get a headache. I wasn't used to having so many minds so close to me anymore, thinking all at once. The pirates were all very guarded around me and kept their distance, making it easy to block them out. They honestly didn't think much about me. When someone thought about me, it was hard not to be drawn in by their thoughts. Here, I had three people openly thinking directly at me. Alice and Emmett were both trying to hold silent conversations with me at the same time, and it was getting to be too much. Emmett was making jokes. Alice was trying to see when it was safe to leave and where to go. She wanted me to look through her visions with her and help come up with a game plan. I'd already covered Jasper, thank god he wasn't thinking directly at me.

I felt warm hands rub my temples. I opened my eyes to see a concerned looking Bella. "You okay?" she whispered.

"I'll be fine once _someone," _I looked at Emmett, "stops yelling at me."

He shrugged. "Sorry, Bro, I just missed you. We have a lot of catching up to do, and you told me to be quiet."

I let out a sigh. It was true, Emmett only knew how to talk loud or louder, and his thoughts were the same way. I caught Jake's mind waking up and excused myself to get him. My son, my boy, that was what he had been for the past several months, and I didn't want to give him up. I knew he had family waiting for him, a grieving grandfather somewhere, who needed the comfort of having a grandson. God, I was never going to see him again. Once he found out I had been in a mental facility serving a sentence for child rape, he would snatch him away from me, and I'd never see him again.

I didn't realize I was crying, until I felt Bella's arms wrap around me. "I don't want to lose him, either," she spoke softly. "I don't know what we're going to do without him, but we're going to do it together." She kissed me softly and then kissed Jake's head. "We'll figure it out, Edward. Let's get home first."

"I can't go home, Bella, I don't even have a house anymore," I complained. Maybe I could convince her to stay with me here.

"Edward," she said my name sternly, "You're coming home with me. Remember, we discussed this…you, chained in my basement, as my sex slave."

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, maybe that last part was my own musings, but you _are_ coming to Washington with me. No one will be looking for you there. Forks is a small town, okay? You'll be safe. Now let's go talk to Alice about what to do with Jake. I don't want to give him up, but I can't keep him in my basement until he's eighteen."

I felt silly for never asking, but we had been on a flight from Chicago, Illinois going to Orlando, Florida. It was just now sinking in that she wasn't returning to Chicago. "Why, Forks, Washington?"

"I went to Chicago for school. I wanted to escape the small-town drama of Forks and get away from my parents, and now, after being here, I want to see them again, my dad more precisely. I've always been closer to him than my mom."

"Yes, he was the one you missed, the one you wrote the letter to."

She nodded smiling. "He always has a place for me, and I know he'll have a place for you, too. He's going to love you, Edward. Everything is going to be fine."

We got up and walked out to the main room, where the sock-eyed pirate was trying to pry the parrots apart. I didn't know what they were doing, but they didn't seem happy about it. Polly kept yelling, "Little bastard!" and the other parrot was yelling, "Whoa, Sailor!"

Jake laughed and yelled, "Bathsard!" at the birds. Yeah, that was a great way to convince them we're good parents. To my surprise, Oliver joined in the mess, throwing something at the bird and knocking him away from Polly, who then flew up to sit on my shoulder.

Emmett narrowed his eyes at Polly.

Oliver surprised us all by perching on Alice's shoulder. Well, he didn't surprise Alice, I didn't think anyone could. He sat quietly, picking at her hair, and Sam made his way out and plopped down lazily, joining the crowd.

"What's this guy's name?" Alice asked.

"Oliver, as in Oliver Twist, he has a knack for taking things and throwing them as well, so watch yourself." I motioned to Polly on my shoulder, "This is Polly, Polly this is Emmett, Alice and Captain Whitlock." I was surprised I remembered the pitiful fool's name.

"Ohhh, Edward," Polly moaned, mimicking Bella's voice.

Emmett just started laughing. The Captain didn't seem to care or notice, and Alice, well, her thoughts were all-knowing, and she was sure more would happen for Bella and me soon. The basement Alice was seeing in her mind was very nice, and the way Bella was shoving me down on the couch and kissing me made me like it even more. I had to change my focus, before I embarrassed myself.

"'AM!" Jake shouted, saying Sam's name. He couldn't quite get the "S" sound yet, but I suspected that was normal for his age. It was cute he was reminding me about Sam.

"This is our dog, Sam," I said putting Jake down, and he curled up next to him. Sam just let out a huff. I reached down, scratching behind his ears. "And of course, last, but not least, Jake."

He looked up at me when I said his name and jumped up into my arms again. "Da-Da!" he giggled. Emmett looked at me confused and Alice looked sad. That wasn't a good thing.

Bella broke the awkwardness by offering everyone drinks and apologizing for not having anything but water at the moment. She went on to explain the goat fiasco. It was a good thing I had grabbed some food before the storm hit, because by the sounds of what was going on outside, it wasn't good. I suddenly worried about the boat.

"Hey, what about your ship, is it going to survive that?" I asked, pointing to the exit, suddenly worried we all were going to get stuck here.

"It'll be fine," Alice said nibbling a piece of plantain.

I hoped she was right, but I had never known Alice to be wrong, either. I let out a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.

Bella pulled out the half-stuffed mattress she was going to add to our bed and got to work on it. "We don't have a lot, but lucky for you guys, I planned on stuffing this thing anyways." She put the last couple of stitches in it and passed it to my brother.

"There's a room over here you boys can stay in. I hope you don't mind sharing a bed. There are just not a lot of bed stores around here."

The men both eyed each other warily, and I caught an image of Emmett waking up with the Captain and snickered. "I think they'll be fine."

Emmett shot me a dirty look, and I took Alice to Jake's room. "His bed is a little smaller and usually occupied by Sam and Oliver, but…"

"Don't worry, Edward," she cut me off. "We'll all be fine, besides, it is only for a couple of nights."

"A couple?"

"Yup, we have to wait for the weather to clear before we head out to grandpa's house. We can sail around the southern tip of South America or drive cross country. It'll take about the same length of time, but one will be on land. I vote for land, everyone will be just miserable on the ship."

"Grandpa's?" I saw flashes of an older man, and by the tone of Alice's thoughts, I knew just who it was.

"Yup, we need to take Jake to see his grandpa first, Edward. It's the only way," she answered my unasked question, and then she quickly blocked me from the rest of her vision. I hugged Jake tighter.

"Look, I know you don't want to give him up, but it has to happen like this if it's all going to work out for you and Bella in the end."

I looked down at my son. He was my son. I couldn't think of him as anything else. I kissed his head softly. Would I be able to give him up? Would Bella be able to handle losing him? I didn't know. I really didn't want to find out, but I didn't have a choice.

**ROSE**

I was just about to park at our meeting place, when I received a call from Judge Caius. "I've been held up at work. I want to meet in the law library at the court house."

I was ready to tell him to go to hell, but the truth of the matter was that we needed him to give us more leads, so we could take down the Volturi law group. I called Charlie and Officer Newton to let them know of the change.

Officer Newton quickly formed a new plan. "I should probably hang back. If I'm there in my uniform, he might get suspicious and not talk. Charlie, on the other hand, can go in without suspicion. He's in plain clothes, so no one would wonder why he's strolling into the law library. I'm afraid the wire isn't going to get through security. Your best bet is to use the recording app on your cell phone to capture the conversation. That along with Charlie being within earshot should be enough to convict."

I removed my wires and carefully set my phone to record. I tucked it into the side pocket of my purse and headed in. I usually didn't have any trouble getting my cane through security. It was made of what looked like a solid piece of wood, but it was actually a steel rod encased in wood. Either way, it came out looking completely solid. The stunning mechanism was in the handle itself. The ornate design camouflaged the weapon part of it, even in the x-rays. I would not be going in empty-handed for this.

I wasn't a stranger to this courthouse. It was where Margaret's courtroom was. I'd passed the library on the way to her office on several occasions.

I heard Charlie's deep voice behind me, asking where the library was, doing an excellent job at playing a stranger. Judge Caius must have known who I was, because once I stepped through the door, he stood up from where he sat at a table and waved me over. He pulled out a chair for me, but I took the one next to it. "Please excuse my rude behavior, but you've already proven you can't be trusted."

"Ms. Hale, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"I don't think I'm ahead of myself, though I am worried you're a little behind. You seem to believe brushing me off disrespectfully is a good way to get rid of me. I assure you, Caius, I don't brush off."

"Ms. Hale, I thought you agreed to meet with me so we could settle our differences, am I correct?" he hinted at me telling him what I wanted.

"I agreed to meet with you because there _is_ something I want from you."

"Yes?" he said, way too eager.

"I need you to help me take down the Volturi group."

"Why would I want to be involved in your personal vendetta?" he scoffed.

"You know as well as I do they're crooked."

He laughed nervously, "Now you're just being ridiculous. You've obviously misunderstood…"

"I understand that you don't want to give up a good thing, because you're in balls deep with them."

His shoulders slumped, and he sighed heavily. "No, you do misunderstand, Ms. Hale. The Volturi law group is not someone I can go against. Their 'special' cases are specifically tailored for the court system. They always draw my room, and only once have I ever judged unfavorably against one of their clients. It wasn't pretty, and I've been trying to make it up to my wife ever since. I do what I must."

"What do you mean by tailored?"

"Take the case you brought to my attention. Their young client was most likely handpicked and groomed. The evidence was damning because it involved DNA. I still don't see how you deduced that the case was misjudged."

"The evidence was collected from a condom that had been lying discarded in a hotel trashcan for hours. The DNA evidence from contents of the condom had degraded badly because of that. Forensics should've found all manner of latex traces in the trashcan as well, not to mention traces of the DNA from the female with whom the condom was actually used. She testified to as much, yet that evidence was not in the discovery. Also, it was proven that the brother who was convicted wasn't even in town at the time of the alleged assault. So explain to me, judge, how an innocent man was framed."

"Juries tend to believe forensic evidence infallible, regardless of its inconclusiveness. At least he didn't go to jail, and like I said before, he's dead..."

I lifted my cane up across the table and pressed it into his chest. "He's not dead, just lost in a plane crash. Clear his name and work with us to nail the Volturi law group, or you _will_ be sorry."

"Now, Ms. Hale…"

"I'm sorry, I believe _you_ misunderstood. It wasn't a request, it was a demand. You _will_ go to jail. Our investigation has turned up all manner of damning evidence, and our case against you is airtight at this point. Your cooperation is the only thing that'll save your ass to any degree. Now, once again, overturn your decision on the Cullen case. I'll be in contact."

"If they find out…"

"You're the only one in contact with them. Do you plan on ratting yourself out?"

"No, but they already know you're snooping around."

"Yes, I know. I've had the pleasure of meeting one of the dirty cops they employ. Don't worry about me, Caius, I can handle myself. You, on the other hand, will need to start recording damning evidence. Tell them you appeased me by overturning the Cullen verdict to get me to back off my snooping, and then keep records of every interaction with them afterwards. We'll hang back and let you do the collecting."

He stared at me stunned. I gave him a gracious smile. "Thank you for meeting with me. I'll be in touch." I walked out, passing a smirking Charlie, who had been standing on the other side of the bookcase listening. With the judge's help, we might actually have a chance to take down the Volturi law group, exonerating some innocent people in the process. He really was our only hope.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	44. Chapter 44

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma beta rubs it till it shines!**

**Chapter 44 – Down and Dirty**

**BELLA**

I woke to Jake jumping on me and Edward groaning. I heard the parrots squawking and Ollie screeching. It sounded like the whole house was up. It was time to go out and see how the island faired the storm.

I was surprised to find Jake was wearing a disposable diaper. I heard Sam bark, which caused Edward to jump a little. "I'm up, I'm up," he complained and made his way out of the room, scratching himself as he looked around at the chaos that was our life.

I snickered a little as he stumbled out, only to be accosted by Ollie, who seemed to be pointing at something as he screeched. Edward just started laughing and shook his head. "Go tell mom about it," he said to Ollie, who hopped down from his shoulder and climbed up my sitting form. He screeched right in my face, while pointing frantically out the door.

"Okay, okay, let's go see what all the fuss is about." I could see several things had been thrown at the birds, but that didn't seem to deter their efforts. At least someone was getting lucky.

I walked toward the bathroom and peeked in on Emmett and Captain Whitlock to see how they'd slept. I did my best not to laugh at the pair that was lovingly snuggling into each other. I wished I'd had a camera. Edward came up behind me and smiled. He shook his head and snuck in next to his brother, leaning down by his ear, "Oh, Emmy Bear, you're so big and strong, show me how strong you are. Make it rough, baby," he said in a high-pitched voice, trying not to laugh.

Emmett groaned and snuggled deeper into Captain Whitlock, holding him tighter. I couldn't help it, I started giggling. Edward tried shushing me, but when he started up with the voice again and Emmett actually rubbed against the Captain, I couldn't help it. Of course, between my giggling and Emmett's sleep humping, poor Captain Whitlock woke up, wide-eyed and alarmed, and smacked Emmett on the head, rousing him from his sleep, because let's face it, he was already roused in other ways. The captain shoved him away, and when Emmett saw us standing there, he growled and took off after Edward, who was running away, laughing his head off.

Once Captain Whitlock realized what was going on, he just shook his head chuckling. "Boys will be boys." He stood up and stretched. "Is Ms. Alice up yet?"

"I haven't seen her, but Jake was sporting a fresh diaper, so I think she's around here somewhere."

We could here laughing and crashing as Edward continued to escape Emmett.

"I feel sorry for their mother. She must've had her hands full with that pair," he commented, and I smiled as I watched Edward jump over a boulder with ease and run toward the front entrance. It was nice to see him so happy and carefree.

"Do you remember where the restroom is?" I asked. "I'll light it up for you. It can be tricky, and Ollie here has a tendency of blocking the lights out, so if you get stuck in the dark, just give me a holler and I'll light you up again."

"Well, Ma'am, that's mighty kind of you," he said and started toward the bathroom.

I headed toward the goats and opened the gate, letting them out. Sam was quick to herd them out of the cave, not wanting a repeat of last time they were free inside. I didn't blame him. I thought it was amusing to find Edward up a tree just outside the entrance, laughing at his brother, who was throwing stuff at him. Ollie, of course, joined him and started throwing stuff back at Emmett, and we both knew it wasn't rocks.

Once Emmett realized what he was getting hit with, his reaction was hilarious, causing Edward to laugh so hard, he fell out of the tree. Ollie frantically climbed down to check on Edward, and I scolded him for worrying the baby monkey. "Get the goats to the field, and take Emmett to clean up. Ollie needs a good hand washing as well," I said shooing them off.

I laughed as Emmett started trying to wipe monkey shit on Edward, but Edward kept dodging, laughing, and teasing him. They were definitely brothers.

**ALICE**

I made my way out to the ship once I changed Jake's diaper, and he waddled straight into Bella and Edward's room. I need to double check everything to make sure things were happening as they had in my visions.

I looked at the ship sitting there. There was one tree that had fallen across it like in my vision. It didn't affect the integrity of the hull and kept the ship ashore as I had seen. The men would be able to move it easily. Edward's newly muscled form would be just enough to get it to slide down the sand. The bilge pump would be working overtime if Bella and I didn't get the water out. I remembered seeing some large pots, and once I introduced them into my vision, the trouble cleared up and would be on our way. We just had to stay behind the storm. We would be taking port in Louisiana. The hurricane would have already hit there, closing their ports, making it easy for us to slip in unnoticed. I had already arranged for a van to be waiting for us on the second story of a cement parking garage. It would be a little bit of a walk, but we'd be able to make it with ease. The old woman was grateful for the large sum of money I had given her that she could use to get out of town and start a new life. She was the grandmother of one of the pirates Edward had treated. Thankfully, she believed me when I warned her of the coming storm. Not everyone thought of me as a freak. Some people like her saw me as gifted. She was able to get her neighborhood to listen and they had evacuated the area. She wouldn't know it until later, but she saved 953 lives that would have been killed when the hurricane took a sudden turn and hit land. I knew Edward would appreciate the sentiment once I told him. Weather usually was my safest prediction. It didn't change on indecisive whims like humans.

Once I was far enough from the cave, I was able to sit down and run through how to handle things with Mr. Black, Jacob's grandfather. I hadn't found a way for them to keep him yet, but I was working on it. The man was in a wheelchair, and caring for Jacob would be very difficult. I hoped Bella's ties to him would work in our favor. I had to find a way to fix it, before we returned. Finding a solid path with such a volatile situation was difficult. Everything could change on an emotional whim. The only way to truly get a handle on the situation would be to have a solid plan and script that Edward and Bella would not deter from. I knew for Jacob's sake, they'd do as I asked.

**ROSE**

For the past week, Judge Caius had been feeding evidence to Margaret, Mason and Talbot. They would have socialized in the court house anyways, so it didn't raise suspicion.

To repeal the judgment on Edward's case, it needed to be reviewed by a secondary judge. It was easily done, since there were three on his side ready to sign off on it.

As soon as Margaret brought the papers home, I put a call in to the medical board. I knew he'd want to get back to work once he returned, and from what Emmett had told me, he was good at his job.

I was at the grocery store, when I felt Demetri step closer to me. I looked up to see a dark-haired man dressed in a suit and sunglasses walking towards us. He took off his sunglasses and gave me a creepy smile. I could tell Demetri was two seconds away from decking him.

I touched Demetri's arm, hoping to settle him down. "Can I help you?" I asked politely.

"Ms. Hale, it's nice to meet you. You're a hard person to track down."

"I don't think so, but I guess I always know where I am."

He laughed at my joke and leaned on the shelf next to him. "I just wanted to check in with you and make sure everything was on the up and up."

"Up and up?"

"Yes, we had a friend who said you had a friend you were looking out for. That's been taking care of, so you won't start any trouble."

"I'm just grocery shopping. Last I heard, that wasn't against the law. You've heard of those, haven't you? Or do they not have laws where you're from?"

He smirked, "They said you were a sassy one."

"Thank you."

"It's been brought to our attention that you're having difficulty reinstating a medical license. When one is deemed criminally insane, it isn't easy to undo."

"Yes, I'm finding that to be true."

He clapped his hand and pointed his fingers at me, "Exactly, and this is where we can help you."

"I'm not sure I want your kind of help."

He walked over to me, and Demetri was about to step between us, but I brushed him of. The creep put his arm around my shoulder. "What you need is a guy to say your man's not nuts. I can help you with that."

"Who is this man you're talking about?"

He stepped back grinning, "See, I knew I'd peak your interest. He's retired military and specializes in these sorts of things. He actually _believed_ what your friend was saying. He and a buddy run different facilities for folks like that, if you catch my drift."

"I do, thank you."

"See, I didn't think you were as bad as they were saying. Pretty and sassy, it's a nice combination."

"You must flatter the panties off of sluts everywhere."

He chuckled and then passed me his business card. "Call me when you're ready to have your buddy deemed sane."

"I appreciate the consideration." When he strolled away, I looked down at the name on the card, and just as I suspected, it read Alec Volturi. He didn't realize I was far from placated or easy to handle, and he'd just given me the last clue I was looking for. Alice told me to ask about the man. I believe I knew now what man she wanted me looking for.

If the Volturi had done their homework, they would've known my sister had been in the same facility as Edward. I didn't believe they had, because they were under the assumption that I'd need their help to get the information. That was the furthest thing from the truth.

I went home and pulled up Alice's discharge papers. Like most companies, they listed both of their facilities. There were two addresses on the top of the cover page. I always thought it was odd that they called the facility Black Land. You would've thought they'd go with something cheery, like Happy Land, since it was full of loonies.

I dialed the number for the sister facility and asked for the owner of the hospital. When I was asked what it was about, I told them I had a patient I was trying to help.

"This is Garrett," a gruff voice came over the line.

"Garrett, this is Rosalie Hale, you can call me Rose. I heard from a dirty source that you may be able to help me get a friend of mine deemed sane."

"Is your friend crazy?"

"No, he was in the Chicago Black Land facility. He had a criminal charge against him, but I've had that cleared. The problem is, he was a doctor, and they don't let people who…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. What's your guy's name?"

"Edward Cullen, he was on the airplane that crashed in the ocean off of Florida."

"So he's dead? I don't understand."

"No, he, a woman and a baby survived, and they're on their way back."

"How do you know that?"

"Would you believe me if I told you my sister was in the same facility with him and went to get him."

"Same facility, what's her name?"

"Alice Brandon, she's my stepsister, and I checked her out so she could come live at home with me."

I heard him typing for a moment, and then he asked, "Do you believe her?"

"Sir, if you ever met me, you'd know I'm my sister's biggest supporter. Don't question what she says, just do it. She told me to ask about a man, and you're the man I believe she wanted me to ask about. Now, can you help me?"

"Yes, I don't see a problem with that. I'll request his files, go over them and stamp him clean. Give me a fax number and email address, so I can get you the documents you'll need."

"Thank you so much, Garrett."

"Rose, you know we aren't the bad guys, right?"

"You don't have to justify yourself to me."

"I need to warn you, though. You have your sister out of the facility, and now you're taking on this other guy, too, both of whom are targets. There was a reason we made these places. Me and Alistair, let's just say we'd fit right in with our patients. We didn't have the best experience with the world or the military. What I'm trying to say is they need to keep their mouths shut. We only pick up people when they start drawing attention to themselves. We say they're crazy to keep them from being snatched up by the wrong people. Me and my buddy, we didn't have anyone looking out for us. If we had your sister and your friend, it was because they were being too vocal about their talents."

"Are you…?"

"I'm not threatening you. I'm just informing you. Whatever you do, don't notify the police or warn them of any impending disasters or crimes. I know that sounds cruel, but if they get hold of your sister and they get a mind reader, too, they won't need her cooperation. I've seen it done. I've seen the torture, Ms. Hale. You don't want that, we don't, either. If you think someone is coming after them, bring them back to the hospital. Patients in our care are exempt from military interrogations. It's a fancy little clause we tricked an asshole into signing. Let's just say, we're a safe haven."

"Thank you, Garrett, I appreciate that."

"Alright, well, I best get to work on this Cullen guy. I'll talk to you later."

Garrett was much nicer than I'd thought he'd be. I was expecting some hard executive, and he was nothing like that. All the same, I planned to speak to Alice about the kind of facility they ran. His warning was a bit ominous, and I wanted to be prepared, just in case any trouble did arise.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Dirty Dollybigmomma was playing with me real beta nice all through this chapter.**

**I signed up to donate a one shot to Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please check out the website Fandom4lls blogspot and donate to them.**

**Chapter 45 – Making Plans**

**EDWARD**

Something wasn't right with Alice. She was the one person in the world who could block me out of her mind, and I knew she was doing it now. She was singing nursery rhymes in her head, and it was driving me nuts. I wanted to pull her aside and ask her what the hell was going on, but I didn't have a chance.

Captain Whitlock seemed to hover around her like she was the fucking queen. I could tell by his thoughts that he was an emotional wreck, but somehow, he found some calm in Alice, which was ironic, because Alice reminded me of a child hyped up on Pixy Stixs. She was the opposite of calm, but for some reason, he found comfort in that.

Emmett surprised us all by making friends with Oliver. I had taken him and Oliver to wash his hands and told him a little about how Oliver had lost his mother, and that my falling out of the tree probably really upset him. I could tell by the way the little cretin clung to me that it had. Emmett felt a bit bad for upsetting the little guy, and we did our best to make Oliver see I was okay and that Emmett was nice. It took a lot more hugging my brother than I was comfortable with, but at least I had my brother there to hug, and I appreciated it.

Oliver sat perched on Emmett's shoulder as they shared some fried plantains. I had to laugh when Oliver would occasionally shove one in Emmett's mouth. That was what he got for feeding the monkey. He had put the food straight into Oliver's mouth instead of his hand, and so Oliver decided to do the same and would shove it in Emmett's mouth before he could protest. It was pretty funny as he choked down the food, smiling tightly and thanked him by giving him another piece in return. The idiot didn't realize that as long as he kept shoving food in Oliver's mouth, he'd be shoving it in his. I snickered to myself and thought I would keep this information to myself.

In my distraction, I didn't notice Captain Whitlock had slipped off somewhere, and Bella and Alice had snuck out as well. When I went to check on Jacob, I was surprised to find he was with Captain Whitlock, who was talking to him like a crew member.

"Now, First Officer Jacob, we have orders from Ms. Alice, and we have to complete them, because she has a way of knowing things."

If he only knew...

I quickly checked Alice's mind, and she was smiling and giggling as Bella hugged her. "Alice, you're the best!"

'_Get out of my head, Edward. Go make something nice for dinner,'_ she mentally chastened me, and then I saw a flash of Bella and I kissing by a table outside under the stars._ 'I'm babysitting for your date tonight, so get to work on something special!'_ she snapped, and I saw her vision of wild boars on the far side of my meadow.

She was babysitting, and we were having bacon! I was thrilled that Bella and I would have some time alone tonight on our date. Bella and I would be going on our first date. Holy shit! I was suddenly freaking out.

**BELLA**

Alice dragged me off into my room after whispering something to Captain Whitlock and handing him Jacob. At least he wasn't wearing the sock eye patch this morning, and I knew Edward could keep an eye on them, so I didn't fight her as she dragged me off.

She opened Edward's trunk and reached into the bottom of it, pulling out a small box. She handed it to me, clapping. "I was going to save this for another time, but since you're going to be leaving, you might as well get some use out of it tonight."

I opened the box and found lotion, Chap Stick, and a little bit of makeup. There was even nail polish!

"I didn't tell him what was in the box, so don't hold it against him for not giving it to you sooner, okay. He was originally going to give them to you as Christmas and Valentine's Day presents, but we won't be here for them," she said as she practically danced over to me. "I also brought you the perfect dress," she giggled.

She disappeared for a moment and then came back with a bag in her hand. She held it out, and I took it, pulling out a cotton gauze sundress. I shook it out and smiled. It was beautiful.

"You don't need a bra with it, and if things go your way, you won't need panties, either," she winked at me.

I looked down at my bra and panties that were worn, discolored and holey. I decided I'd go without them tonight, so I could feel almost normal and not like a stranded hobo.

**EDWARD**

I was tracking the boar. I finally cut it off, perching up on some rocks, and I thought it interesting that I was hunting much like the wild cats whose cave I occupied. I saw a wild boar come through the clearing and realized if I wanted to have bacon, I was going to need something stronger than the arrows I had.

I found a long semi-straight broken branch and decided that this would work. I pulled out my knife and quickly started sharpening the end of it. I cut a slit once I had it close to a point and stuck the tip of one of my arrows into it.

I just hoped it worked.

I crawled on my belly back to the edge of the rocks I had been hiding on and peeked over to see if the boar was still there.

There were a few that had joined the first, and they were lingering around the rocks. If I was going to get one, I had to make my move fast, before they wandered away from my prime position. I looked down at the boar that was closest to me. It was medium-sized, so it would easily feed us all for the next few days, if I could get it.

I grabbed my makeshift spear and jumped off the rock, holding it tight as I slammed the spear into the boar. I quickly realized this was not a well-thought-out plan, as I was now perched on the end of the spear like it was a pogo stick, surrounded by angry boars. Yeah, not well thought out at all.

I quickly scrambled off the dead boar and up the rock I had been hiding on. To my great distress, the boars knew a path to get up the damn rocks, and so I found myself diving off the rocks and clinging to a tree out of their reach.

Just when I thought I was safe, a monster boar started pushing against the tree, making it rock. The bastards were going to take the damn thing down with me in it.

When I heard Sam barking in the distance, I didn't know whether to be happy or tell him to run. I didn't want him getting hurt. I was relieved to see that Emmett and Captain Whitlock were in tow, along with Oliver, who quickly joined me in the tree, throwing shit at the boars, screeching at the top of his lungs. I think to everyone's surprise, Captain Whitlock pulled out a gun and fired a few shots toward the boars, scaring the damn things off.

When the last one finally ran from the clearing, Emmett started laughing his head off. "You know, Bro, if you weren't hiding in a tree with a shit-throwing monkey, I'd think you were pretty cool," he smirked, walking over to my dead boar.

"Shut it, or you're not getting any bacon," I threatened.

He shoved the spear further through the boar, and Captain Whitlock grabbed the other end, hoisting it up on his shoulder. "Let's get this back to camp so we can dress it for dinner."

Sam barked a few more times at the retreating boars. "Don't worry, boy, you'll definitely be getting bacon."

**ROSE**

Garrett was quick to get Edward's files to me, and I was able to reapply for his medical license. I had my house listed as his current address. I didn't want to draw any attention to Emmett's place, where Charlie and our legal crew were working.

I told them about my little encounter with Alec. Charlie was upset, until I reminded him that I'd had Demetri with me. I kept him with me most of the time I was out, not really for security, though. I mostly used him to help me around when my body became too sore, and moving hurt too much for me to do it on my own.

Being crushed under two cars and dragged fifty feet through glass tended to stick with you. I'd always have pain, but at least I had a life. Alice had a way of making me feel like I was important, and between her and Margaret, I knew the accident was not the end of my life.

Judge Talbot suggested that we set up a circuit of lawyers. They would call in a large group of plaintiffs all at once. It had to be done simultaneously to keep the Volturi from finding out until it was too late. Conversations would be recorded, and the DA had settlement deals ready for the lying plaintiffs if they came clean and ratted out the crooked law group.

Since the group of people we were dealing with were money-hungry scum, we used the guise of a cash prize to lure them all in. It would take at least two weeks to be sure that everyone received their prize letter. The date was set, and I had a "prize hotline" set up for them to call and confirm their pick-up time. I had a list of lawyers and gave the caller a time, place and person they were supposed to meet at the lawyer's office, because that "large sum of money" would have to be handled by legal.

If everything went according to plan, we'd have a solid case against the Volturi.

I was surprised when I received a call from Garrett. "I've got a ping, and I'm worried it might be your sister."

"A ping?"

"It's what we call someone who might get in trouble," he said, and it sounded like he was fumbling with someone.

"Tell her! Tell her!" a little girl's voice shouted in the background.

"I am, Emily, just give me a dang minute," he griped. "Sorry for the interruption, Ms. Hale. As I was saying, we believe your sister may have warned people about a hurricane hitting the coast of Louisiana in the next few hours. The storm has taken a sudden unexpected turn, but surprisingly, the whole lower half of the town it was going to hit has already been evacuated. Word on the street was that a woman told their friend of the coming storm, and we believe she's being hunted."

"Tell her I saw them!" the girl shouted.

"Damn it, Emily, I shut my office door for a reason!"

"Tell her!" she insisted.

"Ms. Hale, I suggest a plan of action be made to make sure your sister stays safe."

"Let me talk…" the little girl tried to butt in again.

"Child, where is your mother? You can't be grabbing my phone while I'm working."

"Daddy!" the voice whined, making me smile.

"Sorry, honey, I was working on an extraction. I didn't realize she left the playroom." It sounded like a woman had come into his office.

"Mommy, I had a big vision, my first big one like you, of a girl, and she saved everybody, now we got to save her and her friends and her baby and her monkey and her silly birds and..."

"Okay, honey, Daddy will take care of it," the woman placated the little girl.

I heard the door close, and Garrett let out a sigh of relief. "As I was saying, Ms. Hale, we believe your sister and the group of people she's returning with from fetching Dr. Cullen will be tracked. If you'd like our help with picking them up, I'd gladly give you a hand. Just make sure your sister knows not to say anything again. She should've been taught about being quiet in her facility. Alistair was a bit lax with patients he didn't see leaving right away. When I looked at Alice's file, I saw she'd been with his group for over a decade. Honestly, I don't know how that wasn't pounded into her head. I feel like we failed her."

"Thank you for the heads-up, Garrett. I'll let you know if I need help."

"Just get a car down there to pick them up. They can't take the van like they originally planned. It'll be followed. You need to pick them up on Tenth Street, by Lucky's Market. Emily doesn't know how to establish time yet, but they show up after the hurricane hits, but before cleanup is started or people return. She said the town was still deserted. Can I trust you to pick them up, Ms. Hale? I really need this done safely. I know Emily will be watching, and I don't want her to get discouraged."

He sounded so commanding one moment and like a big softy the next. I knew he didn't want to upset his daughter. I actually really wanted to meet his family.

"Garrett, do you live at the Black Land facility you manage?"

"Yes."

"I'd like to come for a visit and maybe tour the place."

"I'll need to clear it with my wife, but I don't see why it'd be an issue. Are you considering readmitting your sister?"

"She might like the option open to her, and I just want to make sure this isn't some ploy to collect gifted people."

The man laughed. "Alright, Ms. Hale. Just let me know when you're coming, and I'll show you around myself."

I suspected the Black Land facilities did more than just house gifted people. Alice never spoke about what they did there, other than a few craft classes, but I had a feeling more was going on. It was so obvious now that I thought about it. There was no way Alice would have been so content or sane in the hospital for so long, with having the visions she did, unless someone was stepping in and taking actions to prevent things. It sounded like a magnificent organization, if what I suspected was true.

I'd set up my visit later. The most pressing matter I had to deal with now was getting into a hurricane-blown town and save my sister. I was beginning to think I just might have to call Garrett back and ask for his help.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	46. Chapter 46

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 46 – Head Case**

**EDWARD**

We dressed the boar and set the pieces of it up to smoke in the rock smoker I had built to cure meat. I left Captain Whitlock in charge of cooking the boar and warned him about Emmett's ability to consume the whole damn thing himself, so he needed to keep an eye on him.

Jackass had better not touch my bacon. I hadn't had bacon in FOREVER! Yeah, I was going to eat it slowly and happily and moan like a porn star as I savored the taste.

Alice's mind called out to me, shooing me off to get ready for my date with Bella. I hurried toward the waterfall to shower, and my nerves caught up with me. I was going on a date with Bella. I mean a real date…okay, it was kind of a real date, but as real as we could get right now. There would be sitting and talking. That was what you did, right? She would sit and expect me to speak to her and say all the right things. Oh, fuck, I was so screwed. I couldn't speak to people like a normal human.

The cold waterfall did nothing to soothe my tight, panicking muscles. I was wound so tight and stiff by the time I started drying off, I could barely move. I had to cool down, before I made a fool of myself. At the rate I was going, I wasn't going to be able to get two words out to Bella over dinner.

**BELLA**

I was freaking out. I didn't date. Not really. No one ever asked me out for more than coffee, but it had never gone past that, which I didn't mind. I was never impressed with the guys. I just wanted free coffee. Of course, Edward was different. I wanted more. I wanted more than coffee and a polite goodbye, where we never spoke again. I wanted him to not just like me, but love me. He had said he thought he was falling in love with me. Did that mean he loved me or did that mean he wasn't sure? I wanted him to be sure, because I was.

The thought of not being with him was upsetting. I had decided to take him home and keep him to myself, but Emmett had told us that they were working to clear his name. He would be free to leave and not hide anymore. Would he still want to stay with me? I wouldn't make him stay in the basement. Oh, God, what if he left?

I had worked myself into such a panic that I almost didn't notice Edward standing in front of me until he awkwardly thrust some shrubbery at me. I looked up at him confused. "What is this, another seasoning for the meat?" I asked.

He frowned at me and shook his head no. I finally realized that it was covered in little white flowers, and it clicked in my head. Flowers! He'd brought me flowers! "No one has ever given me flowers before. Thank you, Edward."

He just frowned more, and I was starting to panic. This date was not going as well as I'd hoped it would. He led me outside to our makeshift table that Jasper had made for us. He was an odd man, but very kind as well. I could see why Alice was so taken with him.

Edward cleared his throat, pulling me out of my musings. Emmett brought over our dinners and winked at his brother and nudged him, earning a scowl before he scampered off. Edward cleared his throat again like he wanted to say something, but just ended up frowning again. I think he may have been nervous as well. At least that was what I hoped it was and not that he'd decided he didn't like me after all.

He cleared his throat again and grimaced. I took a bite of our dinner and moaned in pleasure. "This is so good, Edward. It's not fish, so I know you'll love it."

He smirked at me a little, and I relaxed some. He took bite and moaned like he was enjoying it as well.

"Good, huh?" I said.

He nodded his head yes.

"Jasper is a good cook. Well, I think anything that tastes half decent and I didn't make is good," I giggled. I had never missed fast food so much in my life. I'd had to cook EVERYTHING!

Edward chuckled a little.

"So, when we get home, I'm so getting us the whole Burger King menu. We'll work our way through it in the basement together. What do you say?"

He smiled wider. "They have bacon cheeseburgers, right?"

"Yes, yes they do," I said and took another large bite of dinner, moaning obscenely again.

He started laughing and shook his head. "It sounds like a plan," he said, and I almost missed it, but it made me feel better that he planned on hiding out in my basement with me and eating an obscene amount of food to make up for all we'd missed out on. I would have to dust off the weights in the basement so I didn't turn into a fat cow. Maybe I would only eat half the box of Little Debbie's snacks. I could always offer the other half to Edward, and then it would only have half the fat!

Edward cleared his throat again, and I wondered if he was feeling alright. I would hate for him to be feeling sick. "Are you feeling alright, Edward?" I asked.

His eyes shot up to mine panicked, and he swallowed hard and then nodded his head yes. I offered him a soft smile. I think he was still just nervous. We finished our food in relative silence, and Edward fidgeted a little.

"So, come here often?" I joked and he smiled. I got up and walked to his side of the table, and he pulled me in front of him, pushing his plate out of the way. I leaned down and kissed his cheek, and he cupped my face and moved to my lips. I sighed in relief and lost myself in the kiss. Edward just wasn't a talker, that was all. He had told me that before. It had just been a while since I had seen that side of him, all nervous, tight and lost. I'd do my best to loosen him up again. There was no reason for him to hesitate with me. He should've known by now that I was a sure thing.

I noticed as we were kissing, he would stop and glance toward the cave. I had a feeling someone was imposing on his thoughts and making him uncomfortable. I just needed to get him away from the cave. "You want to take a walk down the beach with me? Isn't that what couples do? You know, 'I love music, wine and long walks on the beach,'" I joked and he smiled, standing up and pulling me to his side. I hoped we could get far enough away that their thoughts weren't so loud and imposing as they had been before. Of course, I didn't know how that worked. Did they get quieter the further away he got, like it would if you were listening with your ears?

He cleared his throat, and my eyes caught his nervous ones. I squeezed his hand in mine, letting him know he was doing fine.

**EMMETT**

I was so happy that my little brother had finally found a woman who would put up with him, but what kind of brother would I be if I didn't have some fun at his expense? A slacker, that was what kind, and I never went halfway when it came to annoying Edward.

Their hairy little jokester, Ollie, seemed to take a liking to me, and damned if I didn't have a serious case of primate love for him in return. Wait, that sounded wrong. Never mind. He and I bonded on some level, and I began to wonder what that said about me.

I was messing with Edward in his head, doing my best to play a porno soundtrack in my mind. I figured he'd need a little hump music if he was gonna get his groove on. I then decided to give him a short tutorial on proper hip thrusting. A little swivel always drove the girls wild. I was doing said thrusting, when I noticed movement to my right. Ollie had taken to thrusting with me. "That's right, hairy man, just rock and then roll 'um, then give them a good spank, uh-uh." I swatted my pretend blonde's ass, and Ollie got into it, too. "That's it, baby."

Ollie started chattering up a storm. I could only guess he was dirty talking in monkey. He had a naughty make-believe monkey girl. His girl was getting spanked. He was spanking the monkey! I fell to the ground cackling after I realized that_._

**EDWARD**

Once we reached the beach, I let out a sigh of relief and took in a deep breath.

"So…would you like me to tell you about the basement?" she asked.

"Um, no, that's fine. I've seen it," he answered nervously.

"What?"

"Alice, she can see it, and I can read her mind, so I saw it, too. Old plaid couch, blue walls, black painted coffee table…" I started describing what I had seen to her, and she let out a chuckle. "Sorry," I said not sure if I'd said the wrong thing. Maybe I should've let her tell me about it. At least we would've had something to talk about. As it was, I was freaking out, because Emmett had been humming porno theme songs in his head all night and making wild obscene gestures that Ollie was picking up. He confused me when he started singing _'Blow the Man Down'_. I didn't quite get that addition to the 'bow-chica-wow-wow' stuff he'd had in his head.

"Hey, you know you can loosen up a little," she said pinching my side.

I smiled down at her and smacked her butt in return. I'd do my best not to dwell on the future, but on the moments I had with her now.

"Hey, Edward?" she said in a seductive voice.

"Yes?" I answered her.

She smacked my chest and took off running. "YOU'RE IT!" she shouted over her shoulder.

I let her get ahead of me a little and then took off after her. She looked back and squealed when she saw I was gaining on her, and it made me laugh in response. She was so funny and sweet. I couldn't wait to get my hands on her, so I ran faster, catching her around the waist and lifting her off the ground. I wanted to hear her laugh and started tickling her sides. She was squirming, trying to get away and laughing hard, and I was laughing with her, until she accidently knocked me in the nuts. Oh, that hurt!

I released her and fell to my knees in pain. She was in front of me, panicking and apologizing over and over. She was kissing me all over my face and hugging me, telling me how sorry she was. In my painful state, I lost my balance, and she tumbled over, too, landing on top of me.

She started sobbing openly now, and I pulled her down to my chest, trying to calm her down. She was still apologizing, and I was starting to feel better in my nether regions. "Bella, love, please, I'm fine." Her watery eyes met mine. "Really, I'm fine, I promise."

She sniffled a little.

"Hey, if you don't believe me, you can always kiss it better," I winked at her, expecting her to recoil and smack me, but that didn't happen.

She smiled wickedly at me and started moving down my body. She pushed my shirt up and kissed my abs, licking along the edge of my shorts. She surprised me by opening them up with her teeth. Holy Hell! She was actually going to kiss it better!

I lifted my hips, allowing her to pull my clothes down. My cock was only at half mast, still whimpering from getting knocked, but still trying to rise to the occasion.

She kissed my hips and nipped them, carefully moving closer to where I wanted her to be. Her lips descended, giving me a chaste kiss, causing my body to react to her touch. She leaned down and enveloped me with her mouth, and I moaned in pleasure. This was definitely better than bacon.

**BELLA**

I loved having this control over him, his body writhing beneath me as he bucked up, seeking me out. I smirked as I finished him off, leaving him panting.

He pulled me up to him and kissed me softly. "I want to make you feel good, too. I had a feeling you'd have a hard time relaxing with so many people on the island, and honestly, I don't want to be interrupted once I get my hands on you."

I felt his hand sliding up the bottom of my dress. When he made it to my thigh, he pulled me in for another kiss. When his hand moved to my butt, and he realized there was nothing under the dress, he moaned and squeezed my backside, pressing me hard down into him.

He pulled back panting, "God, Bella, really, nothing?" He squeezed my butt to emphasize his point.

"Alice said that I'd enjoy the evening better without them."

He rolled us, pinning me under him. He paused for half a second to close up his shorts and then flipped up my dress, wearing a wicked grin.

"It's time for dessert."

Yes, Alice was right. I would definitely be enjoying the evening.

**EDWARD**

After we relaxed a little, I took her to my meadow. I wanted to retrieve my recorder and maybe play a song for her.

"Hey, Edward, I never asked, and you don't have to answer, but why do you have nightmares?"

I looked over at her frowning. I honestly was surprised that she hadn't asked sooner. They'd all but gone away completely since we'd really started being friends. I knew they'd get bad once we got back to civilization. I had to warn her.

"I can see inside people's minds, and they're not nice at all. Most people are barely hanging by a thread, ready to snap. Have you ever imagined hitting someone or thought about dropping something on their head? People don't act these things out, but they think them, a lot. Most people are a lot more violent than they portray themselves to be. I guess I have bad dreams, because I'm stuck watching horror films all day, and they catch up to me at night."

She pulled me down to kiss her. "That makes sense. So how does it work? Is it like talking? When you walk away, does it get quieter?"

"Yeah, in a sense. I can still hear people pretty far away, further than I could just by listening with my ears, but the farther away I get, the easier it is to tune them out. It's why I was startled by the pirates. I hadn't heard anyone but Jacob, and then there was a mess of jumbled minds getting closer. If we were home, I wouldn't have been able to pick them out of a crowd. There's so much noise back home. It's like the beehive in my head, a constant humming, and angry or upset thoughts are the loudest. When someone thinks about me, I automatically tune in, just as you would if someone said your name. When you hear your name, you can't ignore a person, no matter how much you want to. It's maddening, and why I do my best to stay away from people. The less I interact with people, the less they think of me. Besides, it's definitely difficult to be pleasant when the person across the street is mentally shouting and picturing shoving some idiot in front of a bus."

She pushed me down to sit by the log I usually relaxed by. She giggled and straddled me. I kept trying to hold back and ignore the fact that if I popped open my zipper, I could finally be buried deep inside her. "Edward, I love you."

I looked at her stunned, she'd implied it before, but she'd just outright said it. After I'd just told her how unpleasant a person I was to be around, she told me she loved me. I pulled her in and kissed her hard. "I love you, too," I whispered against her lips, "I love you, so much."

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	47. Chapter 47

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta lover!**

**Chapter 47 - Hitting the Water**

**EDWARD**

I woke up the next morning to Bella madly scribbling in her journal, while a commotion was going on in the other room. Apparently, Alice had decided it was time to go, and she was getting the animals ready to take down to the ship. Of course, we had the little problem of getting the animals on the ship once we got that damn thing back into the water. However, that was the least of our problems. Turned out, there was a big fucking tree down across it. Ironically, that was what had kept it from washing out and being torn apart.

Needless to say, I got my saw and axe out after breakfast and got to work making firewood out of the motherfucker. Jasper was working hard running the saw as I used the axe. Emmett was dragging the wood away from the ship as we worked. It really didn't take long for us to get the tree cleared, and Jasper quickly started checking to see if there had been any damage done to the ship.

Bella and Alice made their way down the beach carrying a trunk. They set it down and went back for more. I wondered what all Bella would bring home with us. Ollie and the parrots and Sam were coming for sure. I was okay with leaving the chickens and the goats, but I didn't know if Bella would be okay with it. She was very oddly attached to the chickens.

I got my answer when she sat down with strips of torn sheet and started lashing some of the branches I'd just chopped into a cage. I guess the girls were coming home with us. I was surprised when Alice sat down with her and helped her with the cage. I guess she thought it was important for the chickens to come with us as well.

I stood back, looking at the beached vessel. I knew it was going to be a bitch to get back into the water, and I wasn't sure how we could do it without sinking it ourselves. Captain Whitlock strung up rope, cradling the ship, and made some sort of shoulder harness for each of us men to pull to get the ship back into the water. "It's imperative that we keep the underside of the ship up and out of the sand and only start tipping it down as we get into the deeper water. If it hits the ground at any point, we'll have problems."

We used ropes to pull the ship into position, waiting to see if Alice would stop us to warn us of any impending mistakes, but she never said a word, just smiled and clapped as we finally launched the ship into the water.

Captain Whitlock climbed up into the ship and turned on a little pump to help get rid of some of the water the ship had taken on. He inflated an emergency raft, and we all started to load up our things into it. Alice insisted that she and Bella work on emptying the water using our clay pots, while the rest of us finished gathering our things and loading the ship.

Alice announced she and Bella were done and sent Bella back to shore to help coax the animals and such onto the ship. Oliver went with Emmett, and Pervy the parrot went with Captain Whitlock and the chickens. Polly was staying close by me, watching what was going on curiously, and Sam was whining nervously, as if he thought we were leaving him behind. Little Jake was hanging on to me, confused about what was happening. Bella came out of the bushes, followed by the baby goat she had carried away from the mountain lion. I knew it had been attached to her, but I'd thought she would have left it with the others.

I guess she could see my doubt as she approached with the kid. "His mom is dead, Edward. The others still have their families to take care of them, but he doesn't. I can't leave him."

I just let out a sigh and nodded my head in agreement. She was right. I held out my hand and helped her step into the raft. She called to the little goat, and it looked at her nervously and then jumped into the raft and curled into her lap.

"Sam," I called, and he looked at the raft unsure. "Come on, boy," I called. He took a step back, and my heart broke a little, thinking he didn't want to come with us. "Sam, come!" I yelled, and he put his head down and moved forward slowly. I was finally able to get my hands on him and picked him up, putting him in the raft. I gave the signal, and the wench on the ship started up, pulling the raft up to its side.

Sam looked nervous, and he let us know he didn't like the water. He whimpered, sounding upset, and the goat concurred by bleating in response.

I handed Jake up first, and he squealed excitedly when Emmett hoisted him up. He passed him to Alice, and I handed Sam up to Emmett and then the goat. I helped Bella get a hold of the ladder and watched as she climbed aboard. I glanced back at our beach, our paradise. This was it; we were finally leaving our island.

We were going home.

**BELLA**

We had been sailing for three days. I hadn't seen any land anywhere, but Captain Whitlock assured me we were on the proper course, as 'Ms. Alice' had mapped out our course before we'd sailed. The ship was not small, but it felt small with us all on it. I guess after having had a whole island to myself, being crammed all together on a tiny ship felt confining.

Ollie seemed restless and bounced all over the ship. He had decided to give us a show. He was hip thrusting and air spanking, and Polly joined in, mimicking my voice, crying out loudly, "Ohhh, Edward." Needless to say, I was mortified. When I saw Jake watching what Ollie was doing, I freaked. There was no way I wanted my little boy to learn any dirty monkey moves from Ollie. I still didn't know where he'd picked them up from, but I had a sneaking suspicion it was Emmett, because Edward kept glaring at him every time Ollie did the hip thrust dance.

Edward's and my physical relationship had been halted while we were on the ship. The fact that we could hear Alice and Jasper going at it made me lose my steam. Those walls were way too thin for my liking. Edward just chuckled and told me that Alice was singing to herself in her mind as Jasper worked her over. Apparently, it was the only thing that kept him out of someone's head. He said that whatever had made Jasper act daffy was easing some, courtesy of Alice, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Then the most beautiful words I had ever heard were shouted, "LAND HO!"

"Where, where? I've been going through a dry spell lately. I could use an easy lay," Emmett quipped, and I was ready to quip him over the head and off the ship.

**ROSE**

Getting into a hurricane-ravaged area was proving difficult. Garrett had made it clear that our window of opportunity to pick them up would be short, which was after the hurricane, but before the cleanup and people started to return.

I decided to give in and call Garrett to ask if he could help get my sister out of there. The phone rang twice before he picked it up, "We're on it, Ms. Hale. Thanks for letting us step in this time."

If I hadn't thought he had psychics in his family before, I did now.

**EDWARD**

Something was up with Alice. She kept blocking me, and then she told me not to worry and that things would work out fine, it wasn't what I thought. She told me not to freak out when our ride showed up.  
"I thought you had a van? I saw a big white monstrosity."

"Like I said, change of plans, you know that happens sometimes. Rose got the heads up and has someone coming to help us. You just need to keep your cool. They're not taking you, okay." Then she started singing _Row, Row, Row Your Boat_ in her head and then finally out loud. I thought about being pissed, but I knew why she was doing it. Singing always helped ease me into the population buzz. If I had a mental voice to focus on that was menial, it wasn't so bad.

The rest of the crew joined in. The look on Bella's face when Alice started singing was some sort of recognition. Bella had sung to me at night on numerous occasions. The round was easy to get lost in as we approached the shore. The buzz was light and on the edge of things because of the distance, but I knew it would be getting worse the closer we got to the rest of the population.

Emmett wasn't sure why the girls were singing, but joined in anyways. Apparently, they had sung a lot of sea shanties on the way to get us. Captain Whitlock realized that Alice was singing with a purpose and joined in, not asking questions.

When we got closer to shore, Alice stood by the captain and helped direct the ship through the debris. She sent me, Bella and Emmett with Jake to shore first, and then she and the captain came with all the animals in the second go-round.

The whole time, Emmett and Bella kept singing, and I finally gave in and sang along. Jake was thrilled with all the singing. He started chanting _Row, Row, Row_ mentally, proud that he could sing along. We walked up the beach a ways instead of going into town. Alice was still blocking me, and it was really starting to worry me. It made no sense. I trusted her implicitly, though.

There was a plane on the water. I wasn't sure what was going on, and ironically, the pilot was singing the same damn song. "What the hell is going on?"

"Just get on the plane, Edward. I'll explain in the air."

"Do you know what's going on? Does anyone?" I asked, and Bella pulled me into her arms. Jake yanked on my shirt. He was worried, because I was upset.

"She's never steered us wrong, Edward."

The guy helped us on the plane with a big grin, and it was really starting to piss me off. We were in the air for about twenty minutes when Alice stopped singing, and everyone took her cue, except Emmett for some reason. He was really getting into it and was teaching Ollie hand motions to go with it. I would have thought it was funny, if I hadn't been so pissed.

Suddenly, the guy's thoughts came in loud and clear. He was from Black Land. "Are you fucking serious?" I shouted at Alice, and Captain Whitlock stepped between us. "What the fuck possessed you to put me on a fucking Black Land plane? I'm not going back there!"

"Black Land?" Bella was confused.

"It's the mental health facility Edward and I were in. They're just helping us out, Edward. You know they do that."

"That's fucking bullshit! They did nothing to help me!"

"They couldn't! You think I was the only one working on a way to get you out and back to work? Alistair knew you weren't happy there, but you were too much of a target to just let you go."

"No! I'll fucking snap this guy's neck before I let him land anywhere near that prison!"

"Edward," I felt Bella's hand on my arm, and I went to shrug it off, until I saw her face. Jake was crying into her chest. He didn't like my yelling. She didn't understand. I wouldn't be able to leave with her, hide with her, be with her like I'd planned, like we'd planned, if this plane landed in Black Land.

"Rose is going to meet us with a car. You've been cleared of the charges, and Garrett has deemed you sane so you can go back to work. It was never a prison, Edward. It was a safe haven."

"Don't 'safe haven' me! He's a damn telly, and you know it. There's no way you'd get anywhere near him. That's why they sent him, because they knew you'd act like a damn idiot! Fucking telekinetics," I growled, and the guy was amused. I wanted to knock his head in, but I knew I wouldn't get two steps near him if he didn't want me to.

He landed the plane in a lake, and a woman leaning hard on a cane was waiting excitedly for us. It was Rosalie. I'd seen her plenty of times in Alice's head and met her once in passing when she'd visited Alice. I doubted she'd remember me. She was nervous at the time and really thought the whole lot of us were a bunch of crazies. The hospital did have a few crazies, just not in our wing.

"Can I trust you to behave yourself?" the asshole pilot, whose name was Rusty, asked me.

"Like I have a choice," I snarled. I hated tellies.

"Edward, what's going on? What's a telly?"

"There's more shit out there than what me and Alice do. Just stay close to me."

Rosalie hurried to Alice, and a little girl came running out of the building. She was excited to see us. It was her visions that had picked us up. She saw us being tracked. A nervous-looking guy came up behind her. The girl was his daughter. His wife was a seer like Alice and promised him it was okay. Emily went straight to Emmett and Ollie.

This Garrett guy was a reader like me, so I didn't trust a damn thing in his head. He knew how things worked and could lie up a fucking storm if he wanted to.

"Edward, could you please tell me what's going on?" Bella was really starting to worry.

"I can't read her. Can you? Has he read your mind?" Garrett asked her straight out.

"No, he can't. You can…you're like him, like Edward?"

"A lot of the time the ghosties are blocked. Does she see dead people? Or maybe a family member does?"

"Are you serious?" Bella was looking at him like he was nuts.

"It might've skipped a generation," Garrett was talking to me, as if Bella wasn't standing next to us, and it was really pissing me off.

"She's not a fucking ghosty."

"Edward, what are you talking about? What's he talking about? What's a telly, what's a ghosty?"

Rusty the cock sucker decided to show off, because he thought Bella was hot. He picked up the trunk with our stuff without touching it. "I'm a telly, or telekinetic," he nodded at the floating trunk.

Her mouth dropped open.

"Ghosties see dead people," he shrugged his shoulder like it was nothing, "Ed here is a reader, cause he can get in your head, and little Emily is like Alice, a seer. Then there's Nahuel," he nodded to another guy walking out of the building. I didn't like so many guys around Bella. "He's an empath, but we call them emps."

She looked at them all, and then at the large facility that said _Black Land Mental Hospital_ on the side of it. "What kind of hospital is this place?"

"The kind that saves your cute little ass," the fucker winked at her.

"Drop it and we'll go! I dare you to drop it and fight fair! I'll take you the fuck out!" I was gonna kill that cocky telly ass.

"Edward, settle down," Bella grabbed my arm and pulled it around her. I looked at a sniffling Jake and then to the little girl, Emily. I felt bad for all of two seconds. She wasn't fazed. She'd seen my outburst coming.

I looked over at Alice, and she just shrugged. "Everything is going to be fine." Her mind flashed to me in the basement, but this time, Bella was naked and riding me hard…fuck, it was making _me_ hard. "That's why I wasn't showing you." Alice glanced at my pants and chuckled. That little pixie was just as fucked up as ever. She'd seen it. She knew it was going to happen. We being here didn't change it. I needed to just trust her like I always had before. But when you were surrounded by gifted people, they knew how to manipulate things to trick readers like me. We really were the weakest of the group.

But right now, looking at my family, I knew I couldn't afford to be weak.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	48. Chapter 48

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma is my beta guru!**

**Chapter 48 – On the Road**

**BELLA**

Edward was flipping out at everything, and that pilot dude, Rusty, really creeped me out. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't know and hadn't seen it for myself. I'd heard rumors about such people existing, but they were all urban legends. Of course, that was what I'd thought before I'd met Edward and experienced Alice. That was the only way to describe an encounter with Alice, an experience.

I felt suddenly calm as the dark-skinned man approached. Rusty had said his name was Nahuel, and he was an empath. Empaths were supposed to feel your emotions, but I think he might've been manipulating mine. The calmness I'd felt helped me be able to keep Edward from trying to kill Rusty the creepy pilot.

A woman came out of the building shortly after Nahuel. She was wearing a huge smile and had her arms open wide, ready to hug somebody. "Beautiful, just beautiful," she said as she pulled me into an awkward hug. She cupped my cheek when she stepped back and turned to Edward, "I do hope you'll invite us. I understand why you can't at the moment, but maybe with time, you'll change your mind."

She turned to Rusty, giving him what could only be described as a death glare. "I told you to leave them alone. He's very protective of his girl and his family," she growled at him. "One more misspoken word or step out of line, and you _will _be sorry. You know your powers don't work against a seer, we have the upper hand."

"Ah, come on Charlotte, it's not like they're married yet," the jerk whined.

"You don't have a snowball's chance in hell. Not another word." I was really liking this Charlotte woman. I think Edward was, too, because he cracked a small smile.

"If you'll join us at the ramada, we can get lunch and go over the paperwork," Garrett invited us with a wave towards a park area.

"Ramada? Paperwork?" I'd felt ten steps behind ever since we'd landed.

"Edward won't feel comfortable in the building, so we've set something up outside for everyone," Nahuel answered.

"The paperwork is for the animals. They can't cross state lines without it. We've also drawn up some form of legal papers for the monkey and parrot. It's illegal to own both, but you can if you have a mini wildlife preserve. It was the only way around that one," Garrett said as he led the way.

"What about Percy?" I pointed to Jasper's parrot.

"Different breed and pet store bought. Your little Polly is definitely an exotic, though, and anyone with bird knowledge could spot her a mile away," he answered.

"Good boy," Polly responded to Garrett, making him smile.

As we were walking over to the covered picnic tables, Charlotte gave Edward a smirk and raised her eyebrow at him. "Just say the word, I'll gladly give you a hand," she said cryptically.

Edward looked over at me and a still nervous and sniffling Jake, who was hiding his face in my shoulder. He let out a sigh and shook his head no.

"Alright, let me know if you change your mind," she offered.

With a bunch of mind readers and seers, I had a feeling I'd always be ten steps behind. There was no catching up with this group.

Charlotte sat down with Edward and I. "This is the best route for you to take. You'll only have to show your papers for the animals once, and it won't be by anyone who has any connections or care about why you have them. There are a couple of points on the alternate routes that have places you'd have to show your papers. Avoid this one," she pointed at a section of map. "The man working there is a government agent that's been put on probation. He'd jump at the chance to rat you out in a second. These other two are iffy, it all depends on the kind of day they're having. You know how that can affect a decision. This one really is your safest bet, but I understand if you don't trust what we've plotted out for you." She looked up at Edward and nodded, "Yes, that would work, too. I've contacted her father. He'll meet you at the edge of town."

"Edge of town?" Now I was really lost. Why would my father need to meet us at the edge of town?

"You're transportation will be changed. You'll have your old truck, and the goat and chickens will ride in the back, laying down for the short run. We don't want you to draw any attention to yourselves. The quiet entrance will make it easy for the town to accept your family. We're going to try and minimize the publicity of your return. Small towns are the hardest to influence, though. I think your father stepping in is the only thing that keeps Eric from running an article in the paper about your return." She squeezed my hand gently, "Everything is going to be fine." She looked at Jake in my arms, "Take what's given to you and be patient. You'll get what you want eventually. It's just going to take time."

Edward frowned and looked over at Alice. "She's right, Edward, I've tried to work it out. I've got nothing that'll change it so far. I've kept it masked, hoping to keep the emotional factor out of it, but it's impossible."

"What are they talking about?" I didn't like this conversation.

"Jacob's grandfather lives close to your small town. He'll want his grandson back, but will let us visit and help with him. It'll take a while, but the strain of having a baby will take its toll on him. He'll give him up, but we have to give him up first."

I squeezed Jake to me tighter. I didn't want to give him up, and I hated that I had a couple of psychics, or 'seers,' telling me I had to.

"There's got to be another way," I begged. Alice had to keep looking.

"I haven't given up, but it's not there yet. I'll let you know if anything changes," Alice answered glumly.

I didn't like this, not one bit. I felt my body being calmed again, and Edward gave Nahuel a nod. There was no doubt in my mind that Nahuel was doing it. I didn't know if I was happy or mad about it, and I had a feeling I wouldn't know until I was away from Nahuel.

We were given a van with the back row of seats missing and a kennel for the chickens. I thought it was going to be a tight fit and didn't know how we were going to fit Alice, Jasper and Emmett in it, as well as Jacob's car seat. The way they had the van set up, it only seated five people. I realized once Alice hugged her sister, she probably wasn't coming with us. I was pretty sure Jasper was going to follow her wherever she went. He seemed to be pretty into her, well, less crazy, anyways.

Alice's sister, Rose, pulled Emmett aside, and they seemed to be carrying on an intense conversation. He looked at her worried. He surprised me, and it looked like her as well, when he took her hand in both of his, kissed it and then pulled her into hug.

I noticed Edward silently talking with Alice again. I would have been jealous if I hadn't known better. She hung on Jasper like day-old seaweed. Alice smirked at Rose and Emmett, and I felt Edward tug on my hand. "Come on, we need to get a move on."

"We need to wait for Emmett." He was still entrenched in a conversation with Rose.

"Nope, he's not coming with us. His future lies elsewhere." He looked over at Alice, and she waved goodbye to us.

Polly rode on Edward's shoulder, and when Ollie saw us leaving, he left Emmett's side and climbed up my back. When his arm came around my shoulder, I put my hand on him, reassuring him that I was glad he was there. I carried Jake, Edward carried the chickens, and our goat and Sam followed on their own accord, too nervous to stray too far from us.

I waved goodbye and then asked Edward, "Are we going to be okay?"

"From the looks of things, we are. Alice's mind has a clear plan that's going to take some time, but it'll work out. Charlotte has confirmed it as well." He ran his fingers through Jake's hair. "It's just going to take time," he reiterated.

We hadn't gotten far when Edward started gritting his teeth. "Do you need me to sing?" I asked.

He shook his head no and turned on the radio. I realized that Edward was a very different man away from the island. He was very stiff as he drove, and when we stopped at a stoplight, the couple arguing in the car next to us was really getting on his nerves.

"What's it about?"

"What?"

"Their fight, what are they fighting about?"

"Marco is cheating with a woman named Regina. His girlfriend suspects he's cheating, but has no proof. He's a sick lying narcissistic bastard."

"Roll down your window," I ordered. They were in a low-rider with their windows down. I was sure it was to blast their music, but his girlfriend must have turned it down to fight with him.

"Why do you want me to…?" Edward began to protest.

"Roll it down," I gave him a stern look. He did as I asked, and I leaned over him and yelled, "Hey, Marco, you doing my friend, Regina, right? I knew I recognized you. You should give her a call. She's worried you knocked her up."

Edward quickly rolled the window up when the woman started shouting. She wasn't sure who to yell at and decided to focus on Marco. After that, Edward actually cracked a smile.

"Putting jerks in their place is gonna be fun."

"You can't always do that, Bella. The only reason I let you say anything is because he was annoyed about leaving his gun at Regina's and was worried she was gonna drop by to return it. If he'd had it on him…"

"Fine, I'll only freak out the people who are unarmed."

"That doesn't mean they can't hurt you in other ways. A man can…"

"Edward, have you seen your body lately? I know we didn't really have mirrors, but I thought it'd be pretty obvious with the way your shirts didn't fit anymore. You're ripped and mean looking. You'd intimidate anyone just by looking at them. I really don't think anyone is going to give me trouble with you standing next to me."

"All the same, Bella, I'd really rather not have you poking at the crazies. The human population is always on the verge of snapping. With all that goes on in people's minds, I'm surprised there aren't more murders. I can only assume that it being against the law is the only thing that stops them from acting out."

"I find that hard to believe."

We pulled up to another red light, and he pointed to the bus stop. "I swear, at every damn bus stop, someone wants to shove someone in front of the bus…some out of anger, others out of curiosity. That guy is just one of the curious sickos. As for the gentleman getting into his car who just came out of the minimart, he's pissed that they were out of his favorite beer. He considered yelling at the attendant, but didn't. Still, he wanted to give her a good shake and shove her into the display. That woman there coming out of the donut shop is considering killing herself. She thinks she should kill her husband first. She's sick of him calling her fat."

"She wants to kill her husband and herself? Shouldn't we say or do something?"

"You've never had a moment where you've felt down? Sometimes it's just a flash of not wanting to deal with life anymore, other times, it's just not wanting to deal with a certain person anymore. All this shit I just told you, it's common stuff I hear every damn day, all over the place. I can't get rid of it. I can't stop it." He cringed and glared at a man out my window. "Really? Fuck off, you asshole. Keep your eyes off her tits, they're mine!" he shouted.

The guy let out a huff and gunned it when the light turned green. I knew this was going to be a long trip for Edward. He was still scowling about the tits guy when we crossed out of the city limits. I think we were both relieved to be away from the large population. He didn't stop frowning, though. I looked in the back seat to make sure Jake was asleep. He'd dozed off after Edward's last yelling bit. I knew better than to ask him what others around us were thinking after that. I finally understood why Edward's mind being stuck in other people's heads was not a happy place.

I grabbed his hand in hopes to cheer him up. I squeezed it, and he gave me a forced smile, so I shoved his hand up my shirt and made it a real smile. "You said they were your tits, care to enjoy them for a bit?"

He glanced at me and gave my nipple a pinch. "When we stop at the hotel tonight, I'll enjoy a lot more than your tits." He rolled my nipple, and I shifted in my seat. "I really wish I knew what you were thinking. I'm pretty sure I'd like it."

I leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I know for damn sure you'd love to hear me thinking of your hands in my pussy, your lips on my breast, your cock in my hand, ready to push into me..."

I saw him check the rearview mirror, and I was sure to make certain Jake was asleep. Edward's hand went to my thigh, and he squeezed it a couple of times. I opened my legs and pushed it up higher, hating that I was wearing jeans. He rubbed against the seam of them, and his smile grew wide as I squirmed. "Tonight, baby, definitely tonight."

"Good, now focus on that and nothing else. You have a mental task to keep your mind busy. You need to map out your plan to make me come hard and enjoy my first time, our first time. Do you think you can do that?"

He smirked at me, "Yeah, I can do that. I can definitely do that."

He didn't flinch as we drove through the next few small towns. I was happy my plan was working. I was also really looking forward to the plan he was making in his head.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	49. Chapter 49

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma beta polishes my writing pearl!**

**Chapter 49 – Feels Like the First Time**

**BELLA**

We stopped at a fast food restaurant with a play place. Jacob was a little young for it and was barely able to play in it. He got lost in the ball pit. Edward had kept a close eye on his thoughts, and when his joy and excitement wavered into nervousness, Edward was there instantly, popping up with a smiling, giggling Jacob.

I loved him so much. Edward was amazing and sweet and everything I could have ever wanted in a man. If he asked me, I'd marry him in a heartbeat. I knew there was a lot we needed to work through since we were home now. Edward was obviously struggling with his return to civilization, but I liked to think I'd made it a little easier.

He carried an exhausted Jake into our hotel room, where I promptly stripped him and gave him a real bath, in a real bathtub with warm water, with real toys that had been packed into our luggage. I shouldn't have been surprised that we just so happened to find everything we'd need or want, including condoms, in our bags. When I held up the box, Edward blushed. I knew I wasn't the only one inexperienced in our relationship. He just seemed to always know what he was doing, so it was hard to believe he was a virgin, too.

We had two rooms rented, and just like at the cave, Jacob and the animals slept in one, and we settled in the other. Well, not settled, more like stood nervously looking at each other, wondering what to do next.

"Shower," Edward blurted out, catching me off guard. "Let's take a shower, or you can…but maybe, if you want, we can…um maybe…"

I grabbed his hand, pulling him into my arms. We'd never really showered together before, and now that we had warm water and soap, it was very tempting. We went into the bathroom, where I watched him undress, and he did the same. He came forward when we were naked and kissed me slow and languid. I reached over and turned on the water, letting it heat up. "Come in with me," I said, stepping in after grabbing two washcloths. I handed him one and put a little soap on mine. He watched me work it into a lather, and he sighed in relief when I pressed it into his chest instead of my own. I worked him over, cleaning every inch of him thoroughly. He, in turn, did the same, followed by his lips, kissing me everywhere he'd washed. I was a hot mess by the time we stepped out of the shower, and he handed me my towel.

He didn't let me get anywhere near my underwear. He pulled me straight into the bedroom and led me to the bed, kissing me the whole way there. "You smell different," he murmured against my lips.

I smirked up at him. "I hope so."

"No, I've always liked the way you've smelled, I wanted you the way you smelled. I fell in love with that smell, but this is good, too. Just don't be surprised if I snatch you up after a hard day's work and fuck you dirty and sweaty. I want you dirty. I want you sweaty and sweet and you. I want you to smell like you," he hissed in my ear while he teased my breasts. "I've been thinking about this all day, what I'm going to do to you, what I want to do to you. You wanted to help by distracting me, and I want to thank you by showing you how much I loved that distraction."

His lips went straight to attacking me, and I couldn't get out a coherent word, just an occasional hum and whimper. He was everywhere. I was panting, begging, pleading with him to push into me, wanting to finally have that connection we'd needed for so long. Finally, I felt his hand leave me, and I whimpered for a moment, scared he'd stopped, but he pulled out a condom instead. I let out a sigh of relief and kissed him hard, making him struggle with his task. "You ready?" he asked breathing hard.

I nodded, "I love you, so much."

There was a flash of something in his eyes, pain and uncertainty. "I love you, Bella, please…" he nearly cried, and I knew he wasn't asking me to make love to him, but to really love him, all of him.

My fingers tangled up in his hair, and I pulled his lips to mine, kissing him again, and then I whispered against them, "I love you, my sweet, worrisome, short-tempered angry man. I'll do everything in my power for the rest of my life to help you, to love you. Nothing has changed, that will never change."

He let out a sound something akin to a whimper and a moan and plunged into me. He'd made sure I had been more than ready for him by working me up to this point. I knew he had just been waiting for me to really love him, to really see all that he was and still love him.

His mouth never left my body as he moved in mine. I gripped him everywhere, not wanting to ever let him go. I didn't want it to end. I felt loved, adored and worshiped. He was mine, and he told me so with every movement. The only hushed words between us were I love you's and pleading of the others' name, begging them to never stop, to never leave, and to always love.

We lay spent on the bed, my body half covering his and his arms so tight around me it might've been painful, if I hadn't loved it so much. It felt like he was hanging on to me for dear life, he didn't realize I'd never let him go.

"What did they see?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Who?" he asked, even though I was sure he knew damn well who I was talking about.

"Alice and Charlotte, what did they see, what becomes of us? Please tell me they saw us together." He blushed a little when I said the last part, and I grinned widely, giggling. "They did, didn't they? They literally saw us _together_."

He glanced at the box of condoms. It was so glaringly obvious now. Of course they'd seen; that had been why they'd packed them.

"Tell me more, tell me about our future. Do you still love me?" I was pretty sure he would, but once the words were out of my mouth, the insecurity set in.

"I do, I love you. I'm with you in all of them. In every future they cross or think about, I'm with you, wanting you and needing you. I love you. That never changes or stops at any point."

I smiled, kissing him soundly; relieved we'd always be together. It was silly, and I should've known better than to question him, but it felt good to hear it from him. I rocked against him, wanting him again, asking him with my body to take me one more time. He answered with a smooth short thrust against my heated flesh, kissing me hard. I felt him pause again and knew he was just getting the condom this time, not stopping. When he pushed into me again, I let out a sigh of relief I didn't realize I'd been holding back. "So good, I love you, so good," I panted in his ear.

His hand tangled up in my hair, bringing my lips to his. "I love you, need you," he breathed across my lips when he pulled away.

"Yours," was all I could manage before my want overtook me, and I yanked him down to my lips again. Things were lasting longer, and I found it so hard to breathe. My body was shaking, and Edward noticed the change. He pulled back minutely, and I clawed at his shoulders, not wanting to give him up, but then his hand hit that spot and caused me to buck up hard into him and my nails to dig deeper. He hissed against my neck, but didn't let up. I let out a whining noise, making him bite into my neck and then suck hard on it. My body tightened and stiffened. "Yes," he shoved deeper inside of me, harder, as he grunted out the word.

He hung over me, sweaty and spent. I leaned up and licked the sweat off his cheek.

"Goat," he grinned. I hummed in response. He leaned down and licked my neck. "It's only fair."

"Well, at least they weren't watching," I giggled as I shifted, pressing against him.

"Yes, maybe next time we'll be in a field like the rest of our goat family."

"You're…" I wanted to say silly and wonderful, "everything," I said instead and kissed him.

"You're my everything, too." I snuggled back down into his side and fell asleep in his arms.

I felt the bed shift and opened my eyes to see Edward pulling on his boxers. "Edward?" my voice was thick.

He leaned over, giving me a quick peck on the forehead, moving too fast for me to stop him from leaving. "Jake's awake," he said as he went to the connecting door. Our room was silent until he opened it.

Jake was crying, but not hysterical. Edward never let him get that upset.

"Hey, little man, did you wake up?" he spoke so sweetly to him. Jake settled down immediately. I listened to Edward talking to our boy, so gentle and loving. "Baby, do you mind if I bring him to bed with us?"

I slid out of bed, looking for my clothes. "That's fine, just let me get dressed."

I saw him peek his head around the doorframe as I pulled my shirt down over my head. He came in and kissed my lips tenderly. Jake grabbed me as soon as I was within reach. I hugged him to me, his little face buried in my shoulder as he sniffled.

"He knows something is going to happen. He's scared to lose us. There's too much change going on around him." Edward frowned, knowing Jake's fears were not unfounded. His grandfather would be taking him from us. I held Jake tightly, fighting my own tears.

We tucked our son between us, cradling him so he could sleep. I would savor these last few nights with him, because I knew he'd be taken from us all too soon.

The trip to Washington went way too fast. When we arrived, I was so upset about losing my son that I couldn't enjoy seeing my father.

"She upset about losing our son," Edward answered Charlie's unasked question.

"Her…"

"Jacob's grandfather lives in La Push close by," Edward looked away as he spoke, I knew he was just as upset. My father pulled me into his arms, squishing little Jake between us.

"He's close by, we'll work something out. I promise." My dad sounded so sure, I wanted to believe him.

He helped unload the truck and laughed as Ollie and Polly set about making themselves at home. The chickens had yet to step away from my feet. My dad was about to protest as the chickens followed me in the front door, but I saw Edward put a hand on his shoulder and whisper, "Please, give her this, just for now."

I led them through the house into the back yard. I was surprised to see a chicken coup already erected for them, and a shed-sized barn was waiting for our baby goat. The animals followed me as I inspected the area, and when I offered some of the feed from the trough to the chickens, they pecked at it experimentally and then excitedly got into the pan, scratching and scattering it around.

Our little goat followed me into the shed, where I sat on a bale of hay. Jake had his head resting on me tiredly, but put his hand out to call the goat to him. "Go, go, 'm'ere," he said calling him with his little hand. I handed him a fistful of hay and helped him feed it to the goat.

"Bella, honey," my father called to me from the back porch, he sounded worried for me. "Dinner is ready, sweetheart."

I kissed little Jake's head as I walked over to my father. "Thank you, for having places set up for the animals."

"Charlotte made sure I had all you'd need."

That surprised me. "Really?"

"Yeah, she also brought in a bunch of baby things, so I have a feeling you aren't going to be away from your boy too long."

"You think?" I asked holding back tears.

"I know, baby. I know." He kissed the top of my head and rubbed little Jake's back. "Now, let's get some food in you. I believe you made a request for Little Debbie snacks and not fish," he joked.

Edward was setting the table and took Jake from me, putting him in a highchair. "Look what I got!" Edward said with so much false excitement it was humorous. He put cubed soft fruit and diced meat on Jacob's tray with some bits of cereal. He ate a couple of pieces himself before Jake started picking them up on his own, testing out the new food. "Num!" he announced holding up a piece of well-squished peach.

"Very yummy," Edward encouraged, before he turned back to the table. My father brought the food to the table, and I literally moaned in excitement. It was beef, steak more specifically, and it smelled amazing. My dad chuckled when I mumbled, "Thanks," and, "This is delicious," through mouthfuls of food.

I noticed Ollie sitting in a similar highchair, making me snicker as he quickly picked and tasted everything on his tray. Polly had some sort of fancy stand instead of a cage. She was perched on it relaxed, picking at her feathers, and it was no secret that Sam was under the table. Edward was obviously sneaking bites of meat to him. When I looked over at my father, he didn't seem stressed by all the changes or crowding in his house. He'd always been a bit of a loner, but now with a houseful, he wore an amused smile. It felt like home, we were finally home.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	50. Chapter 50

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Dollybigmomma does it beta-style!**

**Chapter 50 - Living the Dream**

**BELLA**

My dad had rearranged the basement a little, fitting a queen-sized bed in it for Edward to sleep on. There was a twin and a toddler bed in my old room. I was sure he expected me and Jake to sleep up there, but he didn't fight us when we changed and cuddled up on the bed with Edward.

He gave Edward a nod as he watched him pull me closer, with Jake between us. I think he understood that as a family, we needed our time together before we lost Jake.

The next morning, my dad navigated through the streets of La Push. Edward was in the front seat, and I was in the back, talking softly to Jake about seeing his grandpa. The little rundown house looked quiet, and I wondered if anyone was home.

Dad had worn his uniform and gun. He'd said it was just to be on the safe side. "You never know how someone is gonna act when you drop big news on them."

"I'm not sure anyone is home."

"He's here," Edward said without question and headed up to the house, knocking on the door with a bit of determination.

I stood back by the cruiser, letting the men handle the first part.

"What's this, who are you? Why are you here? You have no jurisdiction here," the older man glared at my father.

"Sir, if you'd…" my father started, but Edward cut in.

"We have your grandson. Chief Swan brought us here as a courtesy."

"Grandson?"

"His daughter, Bella Swan, and I were on the same plane as your daughter that crashed off the coast of Florida several months ago. We were able to make it safely to an island, where we were rescued and just returned home last night. I believe your grandson's name is Jacob, correct?"

He looked at Edward stunned, unable to answer. Edward waved me over, and I brought a nervous Jake up on the porch. The man covered his mouth, trying to hold back his crying when he saw him.

"This isn't a hoax. He and his mother were in the seat next to mine. She died on impact, painlessly," Edward said the last part softly.

"Edward worked quickly to get him out of the plane, there were eight of us, besides little Jake, but the storm tore apart our little group. Edward was able to keep him above water somehow. I was lost as well, and it was sheer luck that I was washed up on the island where Edward was with your little Jake."

I looked over at my father when I heard him sniffle. He pulled me into his arms. I realized I'd never mentioned to anyone how we had arrived on the island. Only Edward knew what had happened.

"The only reason I was able to keep Jake above water was because of Bella. During the storm, my floatation device was yanked from my grip by the rough sea shortly after our group was scattered. I was struggling to keep Jake and myself above water. Bella gave up her floatation device, throwing it to me, because we were so far apart from each other. I was able to grab it just in time for the next wave to hit, and then she disappeared. I was sure she was dead. There was no way she should've survived that, but I've found that she's very resilient." He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. "I don't know what I would've done without her."

I looked to the old man, and his watery eyes were fixed on Jacob. He finally reached out to him, but Jacob curled away from him, not wanting to leave my arms.

"Maybe we could sit inside for a little bit, get him used to the new surroundings," I offered.

The man glared at my father, who put his hands up in surrender. "I'll be in the car waiting. Holler if you need anything."

Once he was in the car, Mr. Black led us into his home.

"From what we understand, you're all that's left of Jake's biological family?" Edward asked.

The man nodded his head, watching us closely as we took a seat on the couch. Jake's curious eyes started to look around, but he hadn't climbed off of my lap yet. "He's been having a hard time adjusting to civilization. On the island, everything was very simple. He played with the animals and stayed close to either me or Edward. There were no buttons or doors. There wasn't a lot to get into like there is here." To prove my point, Jake slid off my lap and toddled over to a shelf with movies and started taking them off. He had himself an armful, looking at the pictures and then discarding them on the floor for more. Edward quickly sat on the floor next to him. "What did you find there?"

"Dis!" Jake held up a movie proudly, showing Edward the picture on the case.

"That's a cool picture. How about we look at more and then put them all back."

Jake held up a different movie, "Dis!"

Edward nodded and then picked a couple off the floor, sticking them on the shelf. Jake smacked them down off the shelf. "NO! MINE!"

"Hey, now," Edward gave Jake a stern look and opened his arms to him. "Come here." Jake dove into them and hugged him tightly. "It's okay, Jake, I've got you." Edward kissed the top of his head and then turned him, keeping him on his lap. He pointed to his grandfather, "That's Grandpa, these are his. He's being nice and sharing. Can we be nice and pick up his movies?" He handed one to Jake, who toddled over to his grandfather and handed it to him.

"Thank you," his grandpa was holding back tears as he took it from him.

Our interaction with Mr. Black felt stunted at best. I could tell he wanted us to leave, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if that was a good idea yet.

"Jake isn't used to sleeping alone. He slept in the hut with us and then in the cave for a while. We eventually moved him to a separate alcove, but he slept with Sam and Ollie."

"Sam and Ollie, were they rescued as well? It sounded like you were the only ones…"

"They're a dog and a monkey, we're the only ones who survived," Edward answered quickly. "We can see about bringing our dog and monkey over. Even in the hotel rooms on our way here, they shared a bed." He was rubbing his forehead.

"Or we can stay, or me. Whatever you feel comfortable with," I cut in.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. He dropped his scowl as soon as Jake leapt into his arms, shouting, "Da-Da!"

"He calls you both Ma-Ma and Da-Da."

"Yes, well, we were on the island for nine months, and saying 'Edward' and 'Bella' was a bit of a challenge. We consider him our son, we love him like one," Edward attempted not to snap at him. "He sees us as his parents. We've been the only people he's been in contact with. We were his sole caretakers for over half his life. It was only natural that we formed a bond as a family."

"You can't have him!" Mr. Black snapped.

"We're aware of that," I added trying to cool everybody down. "We're living in Forks, not far from here, and were hoping to stay in contact with him."

"I don't trust…" Mr. Black started, but didn't get to finish what he started.

"Chief Swan will not interfere with your custody of Jacob. He has no desire to start trouble. He was just worried you might not respond positively to the return of you grandson."

"Why wouldn't I respond positively?" he shouted at us.

"There was always a chance you wouldn't believe us, and your emotional loss over your daughter and Jake could've had this reunion turning out bad. Our return would be unbelievable, even in the best of circumstances. Chief Swan just had his daughter returned to him. He wasn't going to risk her being put in danger again," Edward explained.

Mr. Black ordered take-out and watched as I gave Jake a bath and dressed him for bed. Being in a new place was not conducive to settling him down. The diaper change after dinner was pretty wicked. His little system was struggling with the processed food, and it was obvious by the smell. Mr. Black actually backed out of the room, covering his face. It made the stink worth it, though, if it showed him one more challenge he'd have to face.

He agreed to let me stay and sent Edward home with Charlie. I fell asleep on the couch, with Jake stretched across my chest, just like how we used to sleep in the hut.

I woke the next morning to pancakes being made. I thanked Mr. Black profusely and told him how much I'd missed real pancakes on the island. We talked a lot about our time on the island and how there was so much we had taken for granted until it was gone.

I told him silly stories about Jake playing with the animals and how Ollie was almost like a mischievous little brother. I talked and talked for weeks, letting him know of the fun and excitement we'd had on the island. I reassured him that it wasn't torturous, but nice in some ways.

I spent most nights at his house, and the few nights I didn't, I was a mess, and Billy didn't look much better. Edward came over to visit as much as possible, but he had taken a position as a surgeon at the hospital. His wild hours left me open to spending most of my time at Billy's, and when Billy was at work, Jake was with me at my dad's house.

It took some doing, but we finally got Billy to warm up to my father. They both spoke the same fishing language.

Edward brought over a few different house plans one evening and asked me to go over them. "What going on with this stuff?" Billy asked.

"I've bought a piece of land between here and Forks. I'd like to build a house on it, and since I plan on asking Bella to marry me very soon, I think it'd be best that she pick the floor plan."

The mixed emotions on Billy's face had me worried. I found out why a month later, when I showed up with an engagement ring on my finger. I excitedly told him about the cheesy proposal. It had an island theme that involved our animals and Jake, who had spent the night, because Billy had a poker game.

"How is Jake going to fit in with all this? Do you plan on having kids?"

"I don't know. I suppose we'll probably give him a brother or sister." I kissed Jake's little dark curls. "He'll have his own room, with toys and everything he could need or want, just like any other children we may have. He'll always be our son and have a place with us. "

Billy looked at the floor, as if reflecting on something, before nodding his head, "That's good, and I think it's time we made the pair of you his parents permanently, because I've realized I'm really only cut out to be a grandpa."

I literally leapt into Billy's arms, nearly knocking him over, and squished Jake between us.

"I'll take that as a yes, you're interested in adopting him?"

"Yes, the answer is a huge yes!" I thought it'd take an eternity to get Billy to let us adopt Jake, but thankfully, it only took six very long months.

**EDWARD**

Alice called and told me the Volturi law group and the dirty judge had been taken care of. My medical license was officially reinstated, and she wanted me to take the job at the local hospital. I didn't think it would show that I was committed to being Jacob's father if I just brushed him off and worked a surgeon's schedule. The hours were erratic and not conducive to parenting. I planned on quitting as soon as possible. With Alice's financial advice, I had become very wealthy while in Black Land. Her continued tips kept my account growing. At this point, I was only working as a surgeon to kill time. I had more important things to do with the second chance at life I'd been given.

I still hated being around people, and when Charlie suggested we buy some land between here and La Push, I nearly kissed him. Okay, not even close, but Bella loved the idea and pointed out that if we picked an equal distance between the two places, I'd be well away from both of the small town's noisy minds.

We looked up properties online, and I stood out on the plots, listening to see if there were any annoying minds nearby. There was just a mild hum in the distance. It sounded more like Bella's crazy bees than people. So the land was purchased and plans picked.

I made a call to Alice after I heard Billy's mind worrying about us leaving Jacob behind. He'd been hurt before. He had originally been a foster child himself. When he saw the floor plans and heard Bella and me talking about building a house, he became nervous. He didn't want Jake to be hurt like he had.

I let Alice in on that little tidbit and asked her if there would be a way to reassure him. I didn't want him to panic and shut us out, because by the tone of his thoughts, he was on the verge of it.

She shocked me by saying that it would be me proposing that would make him relinquish Jacob. I was sure it would have had the opposite effect, but Alice was always right.

Alice assured me that I already knew the answer to the question I'd ask Bella. I had seen it in Charlotte's head, when she met us for the first time. I hadn't been lying when I told Bella that every possible future Alice had seen had her and I together. I knew the answer, and it was time I got her to actually verbalize it.

I had gone out to our little piece of land, where I planned to propose. The construction workers thought I was nuts when I insisted the outdoor fireplace be built first. Outdoor décor usually came last.

I built us a makeshift hut and set out our few clay dishes from the island, along with a few dried fruits she had made, on the log table I'd fashioned from one of the cleared trees. The dishes were easy to find in the trunks. We didn't really need them anymore, but we kept them, mostly for nostalgic reasons.

I made a fire in the backyard fire oven, so I could cook dinner in it, and then I started another in a fire circle. I laughed when Charlie reminded me of the camp toilet he'd gotten Bella. We would be "roughing it" for the most part, but I knew Bella would appreciate having it. I had a couple of air mattresses with me in the hut, which would have to do, since I didn't have any soft moss available. We'd be spending a couple of nights out on our own. Luckily for me, I'd managed to make it a two-room hut, so Jake would have his own bed.

Charlie helped me take all the animals out to the property. He hadn't seen much of the stuff we'd made on the island and was impressed by the mats, baskets and clay dishes Bella had made. He helped me set up, and I told him a few stories about our time on the island. Bella didn't talk to Charlie much about it. I think she didn't want to upset him, because she talked just fine with Mr. Black. I think that was different, because she was talking to reassure him of his grandson's happiness and safety. When she talked to her dad, it would just remind him of how unsafe it really had been on the island.

Charlie held the fort down, while I went to pick up Bella and Jake from Billy's house. She was confused, but not suspicious when I turned down the road to our land. She just assumed I was going to show her the progress the construction workers had made. She never expected to see her father there tending to the fires.

There was a large flat boulder on the edge of the firelight. I had decided it was very fitting for what I was doing. I collected all the things she'd wished she'd had on the island and set them there, toilet paper, sitting on a picture of a toilet, being the first, followed by light bulbs, a bottle of water labeled "hot," toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, fast food and grocery receipts, my stethoscope, a pillow with "real bed" written on the pillowcase, a disposable diaper and wipes, a picture of a washer, dryer, dish washer, and lastly, a house.

"These are all things you went without, and did so with very little complaint. You stuck by me and helped me work for our family on the island. You shouldered the load, and once done with your chores, you often offered to help me with mine. Your creative thinking, adventurous spirit and bravery benefited our family in so many ways, even if it did scare the crap out of me on a regular basis. Your compassion made our family grow." I petted Sam's head, rubbed Ollie's back, and pointed to Polly, "Your friends showed me that I needed to do more for you." I motioned to the chickens she'd chatted with so often, "And I'll never forget the goats that gave us that extra little push, changing our friendship forever," I waggled my tongue at her, making her giggle. "You forced me to open up and let you in, and you taught me how to be a good father, friend and lover. You're everything to me, and I promise you'll never go without again. I'll give you everything, every part of me, for the rest of my life, if you'll marry me."

She threw herself into my arms, kissing my face all over, and finally claimed my lips. She pulled back, nodding her head yes, and I was ecstatic as I slid the ring up her finger. She was finally going to be mine. "You owe me cookies," I whispered against her lips, causing her to laugh. We spent a couple of days reliving our time marooned, and I'd never dreamed I would have said it, but I missed our simple island existence. However, every time Bella smiled when she grabbed the toilet paper made being back worth it.

It was only a short time after we returned before Bella called me and let me know that Billy was ready to give us Jacob, and I shouted a loud, "YES!"

I was alone in the break room when I did it, but there were several minds wondering what the hell was going on in there.

Billy wanted to wait until we were married to put the adoption through. We decided to get married quickly, not wanting to put off the adoption any longer.

Our wedding was perfect, in its own twisted way. I knew Bella was happy, and that was all that mattered. I think any outsiders would have been appalled, but for us, it was just right.

There were chuckles from the audience as Oliver and Jake came down the aisle, followed by the goat, only to round things out with the chickens, or "the girls" as Bella called them. It was just perfect. My best man was a little annoyed with the mess of it all, but I think that was because he was an old fuddy-duddy. I smirked to myself, looking down at Sam. He was man's best friend and my best man. He sat stoically by me, until the last of the pictures had been taken, and I snuck off with him to get him his own little treat. I'd made sure the caterer brought a plate just for him. It was a meat sampler.

**BELLA**

We decided to get married quickly, and Alice had obviously seen it coming and planned accordingly. She promised that Jasper would forgo the sock eye patch for our wedding, but I'd heard from Edward that he'd worn one for theirs, as playing pirate and cabin wench had become a favorite thing for them. To each his own, I suppose, not that I was judging. I did have a surprise of my own for Edward for our honeymoon. I was looking forward to being treated by my own personal witchdoctor and being sacrificed by impaling as his pseudo-virgin to the fertility gods…repeatedly.

I stood with my dad at the back of the church, not really nervous, per se, but excited.

"Come on now, you have a gentleman waiting at the end of the aisle, and I know your monkey and Jake are ready to run down it."

I peeked around the corner of the door and saw Billy holding Jake on his lap, waiting for my dad and me to make an appearance, before he released Jake to run up to Edward. I smiled as Billy double-checked the knots that were holding our rings tied to the pillow. Alice was holding Ollie, whispering something to him, but I had no idea what it could have been. When the guests turned and saw us, they all smiled, and I heard the music start. Emmett and Rose were sitting next to the aisle, and I saw him wrap his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and kissing her head, making me smile. It looked like they wouldn't be too far behind us.

I looked up the aisle to see Edward smile brilliantly at me, and suddenly, my nerves were gone. It was just him and I. Of course, that was short-lived, as Ollie was let loose to drop flower petals, and by dropping, I meant he was throwing them at the people sitting on either side of the aisle and chattering softly as he looked back to Alice, who seemed to encourage him to keep moving forward. Of course, when he realized his basket was empty, he started back down the aisle, picking up the petals and started over again. Billy let Jake go, and he ran up the aisle screaming, "Daddy!" and waving the pillow as he went. Edward squatted down and caught him in his arms, picking him up and kissing his little cheek, smiling widely.

Reverend Webber was smiling and chuckling at our odd but wonderful wedding procession. Baby, my goat, wandered up the aisle and started eating the petals Ollie had been throwing at people. Once Ollie saw this, he started chattering angrily, screeching at the goat.

I was trying hard not to giggle, when I heard Edward yell, "Oliver!" sternly and saw Ollie was getting ready to throw something else at Baby. Polly flew to Edward's shoulder and squawked, "Stop throwing shit!" Percy started to screech something I was sure would have been obscene, but thankfully, Jasper managed to muffle him quickly. Reverend Webber seemed to be a fairly liberal guy, but I really didn't think one of Percy's lewd exclamations would have gone over very well.

"Ollie!" I called to him, and he climbed up my dress with ease. He grabbed my face with his hand and held up his basket with the other, chattering excitedly.

I nodded in understanding. "Come on, Baby," I called to my goat, holding my flowers out to him. He trotted forward and followed me up to the altar. My dad was chuckling next to me and kissed my cheek as he gave me over, smiling widely.

The only thing missing was my girls, but I should've known Alice would know this, because halfway through our vows, the girls came clucking up to us, wondering what the fuss was all about. Sam was at Edward's side, wearing a bow tie as his best man, and he let out a huff as the last of our crazy family came forward.

Reverend Webber was very helpful, taking the ring pillow from Jake and pulled out a pocketknife and cut them off the pillow. He handed Edward my ring and then took my bouquet to keep Baby busy so Edward could put it on my finger.

Our vows were short and sweet, and the reception was a wonderful blur. Billy planned to babysit for the weekend, and my dad was taking all the animals on.

Everything was signed, marriage license and adoption papers. I couldn't wait to record this in my journal, and who knew, maybe I would finally get around to typing it out and publishing it somewhere. Maybe the story of how a grumpy, angry man and a girl with no direction in life found each other would be a hit. It would have a happily ever after, I knew that much, since we were finally getting our happy ending, or rather beginning, one I knew Edward deserved. We were a family, one Edward had thought he could never have, but now he had everything he'd ever dreamed of, and I would give him and our family everything I could, for the rest of my life.


End file.
